- More than 350 high school students have learned to verify fake news on social media.
- The SchoolFan project has the participation of leading universities from Spain, France, Portugal and Greece.
- The initiative teaches young people how to use fact-checking techniques to combat environmental misinformation.
- Teachers have also received specific training to combat digital deception in the classroom.
Navigating TikTok or Instagram today is like stepping into an information minefield, especially when the central theme is the environment. Among viral dances and challenges, videos claiming that climate change is a hoax or that scientific data is manipulated to scare us all too frequently slip through. Fortunately, a group of experts has taken action to ensure that young people, who spend the most time glued to screens, don't swallow just anything without proper knowledge. to foster a critical and analytical spirit beforehand given what they consume.
The European project SchoolFan was created precisely to tackle this problem. This initiative, the result of two years of intensive work between Spain, France, Portugal, and Greece, aims to turn students into true experts in detecting lies. Instead of limiting themselves to textbook theory, these secondary school students have gone on the counterattack. learning professional information verification techniques which are normally only used by journalists specializing in fact-checking.
An educational shield against climate misinformation
Far from the typical lectures that can sometimes be a bit boring, SchoolFan has opted for a completely practical methodology. The kids have analyzed real social media posts, dissecting YouTube videos and Instagram posts to see where the trick was. It's not just about saying something is a lie, but about understanding. Why are they trying to deceive the audience? and how to identify those manipulation patterns that tend to be repeated in denialist content.
This pioneering citizen science project involved 32 secondary school classes across the four participating countries. From January to March 2026, classrooms were transformed into small fact-checking newsrooms where students took center stage. Many of them, upon completing the training, didn't remain idle and decided to launch their own campaigns in their schools to help other colleagues avoid falling into the traps of the most viral hoaxes about the weather.
But the students haven't been alone on this journey. The role of the teachers has been fundamental, and that's why nearly a hundred teachers have undergone specialized training. The goal was to give them the necessary tools so they would know how to debunking fake news within the educational environment naturally, integrating media literacy as just another subject in life.
Spanish universities lead the battle for truth
The involvement of our country's institutions in this project is more than significant. Universities such as Rey Juan Carlos and Complutense University of Madrid have been at the forefront, collaborating closely with centers in Aveiro, Lisbon, and Athens. This multidisciplinary team, made up of journalists, communicators, and educators, has been responsible for designing the educational materials that are now They serve as a model for other educational systems. in all Europe.
According to experts involved, such as Antonio García from URJC, it is vital that young people stop being passive recipients of information from algorithms. By providing them with clear methods to verify sources, they are being given a kind of digital vaccine. This is no small matter, since in the age of extreme virality, what circulates most widely is not always the most accurate, and distinguishing reality from climate fiction It has become a basic survival skill for new generations.
Furthermore, Professor Esther Martínez emphasized that the intention is for all this work not to be in vain once the project is finished. The idea is that any educational center on the continent can use these resources for to train more critical and responsible citizensUltimately, climate change is not only a scientific challenge, but also a communication challenge that requires a well-informed and difficult-to-manipulate society.
The journey undertaken by SchoolFan will reach its culmination in mid-June, when all the results and materials developed will be officially presented. What has become clear after these two years of research and work in the classroom is that, when given the right tools, young people are the first to reject misleading content and defend truthfulness of scientific information. Knowing that social media can be a safer and more honest place is undoubtedly excellent news for the future of the planet and our digital coexistence.