The innovative online ESA educational platform edukeo is launching next week at the Living Planet Symposium, in Vienna, Austria. Supported by ESA’s EO Science for Society programme, the goal of the edukeo project is to communicate the value of Earth Observation to a broad audience, including younger generations, educators, media, and policy makers.
edukeo brings salient topics in earth science and society alive: from the changing Antarctic and global food security to the water cycle and coastal erosion. Visit edukeo.esa.int to explore topics through a modern “scrollytelling” approach that incorporates animations, interactive graphics, and maps in a multimedia context.
Stories are prepared in collaboration with ESA project experts who lead initiatives such as WorldCereal, Space for Shore, Coastal Change From Space, and the digital twin Earth for Hydrology and Antarctica. Each of these projects uses Earth observation satellites to help solve problems and to advance research and technology.
Luca Brocca, Director of Research at the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (CNR-IRPI) in Italy, contributed to the edukeo story that focuses on the Digital Twin Earth Hydrology project. Brocca thinks of science communication as capacity building for stakeholders, and adds that, “At the end of the day, if we do science just for science, it’s not sustainable. That’s why communication is so important.”
“Scrollytelling provides an intuitive and approachable way to allow anyone to explore and learn about the latest developments in satellite Earth Observation, Earth science and digital technology” adds Martin Wearing, ESA Digital Twin Earth Scientist, responsible for the Polar Science Cluster.
The edukeo stories are written and developed by Lobelia, and the platform’s technology is powered by Lobelia’s Globe Story Engine, which brings interactivity to data and enhances the reader’s experience when exploring stories, even on mobile devices.
edukeo supports EO Science for Society goals by spreading the word to a broader audience about how EO applications benefit society, fill gaps in scientific knowledge, and support international policy.
Keep an eye out for four additional stories planned for release in 2025.
Are you attending LPS25? Would you like to find out more about edukeo? Join the demo and meet the team at the ESA booth on Wednesday 25 (10:10-10:30 or 15:40 – 16:00).