How did the idea to start the project emerge?

The books came from the need to change the educational paradigm in the UK. There was an urgent need to put students in the classroom outside of the classroom. Several ideas / activities emerged for students to solve, in line with the programmatic content. You can find the history behind Mission Explore Here.

What is innovative?

It’s innovative because students can explore more than 100 missions that challenge them to (re)discover our world. They can become a guerilla explorer and extreme missioner with missions that defy gravity, see the invisible and test their mental agility. In each of the Misiion Explore books pupils will find illustrated missions that challenge them in daring new ways. Draw, rub, smear, write, scrape, and print your findings and achievements as you complete each mission. In Portugal the books are being used for a more appealing Peddy Papers and also for non formal youth activities in different events. Find some Missions Here.

Impact on students/parents

For students it was easy to join the activities of the different books in the classroom context and outside it.
For parents it was necessary to frame the use of books in a more informal and complementary to the programmatic contents. In any case, the general acceptance was quite satisfactory and has become viral in many institutions.

Here’s what a few people are saying about the books in the UK
• MISSION:EXPLORE is an exciting and inspiring book, its missions show that adventure is to be found everywhere. To go on an adventure all you need is an independent and curious mind. Question, experiment, explore.
  Arita Baaijens, Desert Explorer
• Learning to engage with the world around you is the key to effective citizenship education, Mission:Explore sits at the heart of what we believe is good citizenship education!
  Ade Sofola, Citizenship Foundation
• This book is brilliant!
  Mark Kalch, professional explorer
• This superb book encourages children to get out there and have adventures in all sorts of imaginative and fun ways. Highly recommended.
  Rob Lilwall, crossed Siberia by bicycle in winter
• Mission:Explore is splendid – great fun, and a lovely way to get children out into their environment and using their brains.
  Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood
• Mission:Explore is bold, cool, exciting, innovative, geographic, educational…and just plain fun! Every curious kid, budding geographer, and responsible parent should have a copy!
  National Geographic Education
• We love the creativity of Mission:Explore and the way it creates experiences for all children so they can share, learn and play together.
  Pinkstinks Approved

More information about the books can be found here:

Mission Explore website
The Geography collective website

How are used Mission Explore books in Portugal

EXAMPLES OF BADGES OF MISSION EXPLORE – badges that pupils can win after complete some missions.