Introduction
An online training and action programme designed to empower members of SoilTribes Stewardship Assemblies and municipal partners to understand soil challenges, design local action plans, and implement pilot actions addressing soil sustainability at the local level.
Details
The Training-Action Programme on Soil Literacy and Soil Challenges, organised within SOILTRIBES WP1 β Energizing the SoilTribes Change Enablers Ecosystem, aims to strengthen the capacities of local Stewardship Assemblies (SAs) and municipalities to address soil-related challenges through participatory experimentation and collaborative action.
The programme combines training sessions, mentoring, and local experimentation, supporting participants from the initial understanding of soil literacy concepts to the design and implementation of concrete local actions.
Participants will take part in three online training sessions introducing soil literacy, design thinking methodologies, and action planning approaches. The programme targets members of local Stewardship Assemblies and municipal partners, with the goal of engaging around 10 participants from each Assembly.
Following the training phase, each Assembly will work together with a local mentor or expert to identify a relevant soil challenge in their territory and develop a tailored action plan. These plans will respond to local environmental, sustainability, and climate adaptation needs while aligning with the broader objectives of the EU Soil Mission.
During the second phase, the Assemblies will implement at least one pilot action locally, supported by mentors and a production budget. This experimentation phase will allow municipalities and local communities to prototype and test solutions to soil-related challenges.
The programme is coordinated by INOVA+, which will support the monitoring of activities, coordination between Assemblies and mentors, and documentation of results.
Objectives
Increase soil literacy among members of Stewardship Assemblies, municipalities, and local stakeholders by providing foundational knowledge about soil ecosystems, challenges, and sustainability.
Empower local actors to address soil challenges through participatory methodologies such as design thinking and collaborative action planning.
Support municipalities and Stewardship Assemblies in identifying local soil-related challenges and translating them into concrete, context-specific action plans.
Enable local experimentation and prototyping by implementing pilot actions that respond to real soil sustainability issues at the municipal level.
Strengthen collaboration between communities, experts, and local authorities through the involvement of local mentors supporting each Stewardship Assembly.
Generate practical knowledge and lessons learned from local pilot actions that can inform future soil governance, environmental initiatives, and community-led innovation.
Contribute to the objectives of the EU Soil Mission by fostering community engagement, environmental awareness, and locally grounded solutions for soil protection and regeneration.