Why schools—and why now
Heat waves, irregular rainfall and surface flooding, and the urban heat island effects are among the top of climate concerns for Košice. The pilot builds on the city’s Adaptation Plan and supports its Climate City Contract work by generating reliable, site-specific evidence to inform both education and adaptation actions.
What the system measures and how it works
Multi-parameter stations capture humidity, temperature, dust particles in the air, NO₂, CO and wind at defined time intervals. This climate data is transferred via Azure IoT Central/Hub to the city repository and then to the Open Data Košice platform, creating a standardized basic network for continuous monitoring and reuse. Within this pilot project, a public Climate data monitoring dashboard was developed for each of the seven participating elementary schools, which visualizes the measured values. This public dashboard also explains what each indicator means for health and the environment, how to behave, and what can be improved—moving beyond charts to practical interpretation. The measurement of these climate indicators is also linked to the teaching process through the creation of an educational program in schools.
Co-creation with schools
At the beginning, four approaches to the use of climate data for society were identified: pedagogical, strategic, community, and spatial. During 2025, thanks to the involvement of school principals, teachers, and university experts, discussions were held on how to bring raw data closer to students through the teaching process and thus enable the development of the pedagogical path.
Various co-creation sessions focused on lesson design and classroom workflows preparation were held. The result is an education program for the 2025/26 school year—with ready-to-use worksheets for Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Civic Education—so students work with their own campus data while teachers meet curriculum goals.
What changes on the ground
The pilot institutionalizes a repeatable practice: measure microclimate where people are, translate it into human-centric signals, and feed it into daily choices—timing of outdoor activities, ventilation, or local greening—while generating evidence for targeted nature-based measures. Along with educational content, this pilot project also promotes awareness of the effects of climate change, thereby extending engagement from students to parents and the public and embedding climate literacy in everyday life.
Why this matters beyond Košice
Because the pipeline uses open data, clear KPIs, and documented maintenance, and cross-platform compatibility, it’s designed for replication. The co-creation agenda, commissioning protocols, and communication guidance form a transferable playbook for other municipalities and school networks seeking governance-ready, human-centered climate intelligence.
In short: Košice’s school-based pilot connects sensors to decisions and lessons to lives—turning local climate data into a citywide asset for awareness, education, and adaptation.