Young people are among those most affected by the environmental crisis (UN, 2025). While governments carry primary responsibility for environmental stewardship and sustainable development (Beisheim et al., 2024), citizens are increasingly engaging in addressing societal and environmental challenges (Igalla et al., 2019). One important form of such engagement is citizen science, defined as the participation of non-professionals in authentic scientific research (Lüsse et al., 2022). Such activities can connect communities and policymakers and are part of broader participatory sciences (European Citizen Science Platform, 2025; Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences, 2025).
This paper presents findings from a mixed-methods empirical study in Lithuania based on Lüsse et al.’s (2022) model of citizen science learning outcomes. It explores the international citizen science project Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!, in which school students and teachers collect riverbank litter data and water samples. With a strong educational focus, the project combines youth empowerment, environmental education, scientific literacy, and physical activity to address plastic pollution.
The study presents teachers’ (N = 48) experiences and perceptions of the project’s impact on themselves and their students. Results of the item response analysis (Bortolotti et al., 2013) and reflexive thematic analysis (Braun et al., 2023) indicate benefits for students’ civic engagement, environmental responsibility, awareness of plastic pollution, and experiential learning. Teachers also reported impacts on themselves, such as increased awareness, engagement, and skill development, yet these effects appeared mostly short-term. These findings encourage reflection on the shared environmental values needed to sustain life and harmony on Earth.

Authors:
Sandra Kaire, Vilnius University, Lithuania
Simona Kontrimiene, Vilnius University, Lithuania

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Simona Kontrimiene is as an Associate Professor of ESP (Psychology) and Quantitative Research Methods at Vilnius University, Lithuania. Her research interests cover methods in social science research, spirituality, parenting, romantic love, etc.

Connect on Linkedin
https://lt.linkedin.com/in/sandra-kaire

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simona-Kontrimiene

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