Schools across Wexford urged to apply for free AI initiative

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth TD launched a new national education initiative to help Transition Year students in Wexford understand how artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change are reshaping their world and to explore the role technology could play in building a more sustainable future. This is the first time AI and climate literacy have been linked in a focused educational programme.

GreenFutures, a free four-lesson programme developed by the Research Ireland ADAPT Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology at Trinity College Dublin, in partnership with UNESCO through its office in Venice and supported by Huawei Ireland.

Launched during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the initiative contributes to a wider European conversation about how science education can prepare young people for a future increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, climate change and rapid technological transformation.

Through classroom resources, real-world case studies and interactive activities, students examine how AI and digital technologies are being used to understand climate change, monitor biodiversity, support more sustainable systems. They also consider important questions about energy consumption, responsible innovation and climate justice.  

Across four connected classroom-ready lessons, students explore climate change through data; artificial intelligence, ethics and climate solutions; sustainable systems spanning energy, nature, food and cities; and climate justice, futures thinking and green innovation.  Rather than simply teaching students what to think, GreenFutures encourages them to think critically: to ask better questions, evaluate evidence and consider how technology can be developed and used responsibly. 

Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD said: “Transition Year is where students are encouraged to ask big questions, and one of the biggest is how we can use technology to meet the great challenges of our time. Developing these technologies responsibly requires informed citizens who understand both their potential and their impact. GreenFutures gives Transition Year students the opportunity to build that knowledge early, strengthening AI literacy, critical thinking and awareness of sustainability.

"As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, I'm delighted to see an Irish-developed programme helping the next generation become not just users of AI, but informed, critical voices in shaping how it is applied. Transition Year is where students are encouraged to ask big questions, and one of the biggest is how we can use technology to meet the great challenges of our time. Developing these technologies responsibly requires informed citizens who understand both their potential and their impact. GreenFutures gives Transition Year students the opportunity to build that knowledge early, strengthening AI literacy, critical thinking and awareness of sustainability. As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, I'm delighted to see an Irish-developed programme helping the next generation become not just users of AI, but informed, critical voices in shaping how it is applied.”

The programme has been informed by UNESCO’s work on the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033), Education for Sustainable Development, the Greening Education Partnership and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, recognising that climate literacy and digital literacy are increasingly interconnected as education systems prepare learners for the future.  GreenFutures also builds on ADAPT’s internationally recognised research in the field of artificial intelligence, digital content technologies and public engagement, bringing current research into classrooms in an accessible and engaging way. 

Magdalena Landry, Director of the UNESCO Office in Venice, said: "The GreenFutures initiative reflects UNESCO’s commitment to supporting learners and educators through action-oriented, holistic, scientifically grounded and inclusive approaches to climate change. By connecting knowledge with practical action, we are proud to launch this initiative in Ireland, in the framework of our project ‘Digital Futures for a Smart Europe: A Feasibility Study on Digital Transformation and Green Innovation’, funded by Huawei Technologies."

Director of the ADAPT Centre at Trinity College Dublin, Professor John Kelleher said: “Artificial intelligence and climate change will be two of the defining forces shaping the lives and careers of today’s young people. Digital skills and climate literacy can no longer be treated as separate conversations and GreenFutures responds to that by bringing them together in a way that encourages students to question new technologies, understand their impact and think creatively about how they can contribute to a more sustainable future.  As researchers we have a responsibility to bring these questions beyond the universities and into classrooms, giving young people an opportunity to engage with them as they begin to make choices about their own futures.”

Commenting on the initiative, Huawei Ireland CEO, Calvin Lan, said: "Technology has a vital role to play in supporting sustainable development, but it is equally important that future generations understand both its potential and its responsibilities. Through our partnership with ADAPT and UNESCO, GreenFutures will help students develop the knowledge and confidence to engage with climate action, digital transformation and responsible AI in meaningful and practical ways."

GreenFutures is one of the five pilot initiatives selected under the project Digital Futures for a Smart Europe: A Feasibility Study on Digital Transformation and Green Innovation, implemented by UNESCO and funded by Huawei Technologies. Launched across Europe, the project aims to assess the current state of digital and green innovation ecosystems in five countries and to evaluate the feasibility of a future regional initiative. GreenFutures focuses on Irish Transition Year students and provides classroom-ready lesson plans, student activities, videos, discussion guides and practical learning resources aligned with national curriculum frameworks.

Schools interested in participating can find more information at: https://www.adaptcentre.ie/projects/greenfutures/