Hosted by SALL , contributed by Najah_abd_adan on 5 February 2023
Abstract
תקציר
The current project was initiated three years ago by the Science and Technology Center-Sakhnin with a group of students at Taha Hussein junior high school, that is still taking part in the project, in an attempt to raise awareness about the importance of keeping public places clean and maintained. It is crucial to know that removing garbage from public places is everyone's responsibility. In fact, everyone should be responsible for his/her trash/waste. For the purpose of the project, a campaign for raising awareness was initiated last year. Various societal actors were involved such as representatives of the municipality, parents' committee and towns association. Throughout the implementation of the project, students engaged in various activities last year: they took a walking tour, painted, planted trees and flowers in the Retirement Home garden and the surrounded area, put signs with sayings that emphasize taking care of the environment and keeping it clean along the way starting from each school involved in the project till reaching the Retirement Home. In addition, videos for our students and partners encouraging the public to take responsibility and keep public places clean and maintained were posted and shared via different social media platforms.
Online surveys were conducted enabling all societal actors expressing their opinions and reflecting upon the whole process. Analysis of the results derived from the surveys revealed the usefulness of the initiative. The project provides us with plentiful opportunities to protect the environment and foster values.
This year, the project was expanded to include kindergarten kids, elementary school students, businesses' owners, football players, parents, representatives of Sakhnin municipality and different associations. With the various societal actors, Al-mal park which was built by the municipality was chosen due to the garbage left by visitors in the area. A campaign for raising awareness was initiated: introducing the topic, shedding light on the advantages of cleaning and maintaining the park and highlighting the disadvantages of leaving trash. The project is still in progress and the next steps will be implemented soon during the upcoming months: painting the hiking trails, putting trash cans, cleaning the park, placing signs with sayings and conducting a Peak Day for all the participants. Definitely, surveys will be conducted in attempt to reach conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the current campaign.
Encadrement
The problem that the current project addresses is leaving garbage/trash in public places.
The current project aims at reducing the highlighted problem and offering solutions/suggestions via raising awareness about the importance of cleanliness and pointing out the damages of leaving trash in public places. Initiating awareness campaigns among students is essential because our students represent the future and they play major roles in their communities. Undeniably, by educating students and making them aware of the importance of taking care of public places we guarantee a better future with responsible citizens who can take action to protect the environment. No doubt, involving kindergarten children and elementary school students in the current project is essential because we strongly believe that good habits/ values that are acquired at an early age will definitely be maintained. The earlier we introduce good habits/ values the more likely these habits/ values be obtained. Unsurprisingly, habits are hard to break.Therefore, these students represent the seeds of leadership. Hopefully, they will take the lead in the future making their world a better place.
Objectif
The purpose of the current project is to offer solutions to the highlighted problem which is leaving trash in public places in an attempt to keep these places clean, green and maintained.
The suggested solution provides us with plentiful opportunities to make the necessary changes in our community via raising awareness because the students who are involved in the current project are our investment. They are excellent representatives of the initiative in their classes where a campaign will be initiated. The initiative will be rolled out to other classes. Then, the initiative will be rolled out to reach other schools. No doubt, students are our representatives at the their homes and definitely they will have a positive impact on their families and neighbours.Stores' owners and businesses will make a good impact on their customers and other residents who might start adopting the campaign. Football players will influence their fans. Hopefully, the different campaigns will help achieving our goal- keeping the park clean and maintained.
Co-création avec les acteurs sociétaux
(יצירה משותפת עם גורמי הקהילה)
Sakhnin Municipality
Science and Technology Center
Schools and kindergartens
Towns association-Sakhnin
Parents committee
Parents
Stores' owners/ business owners located in the nearby area
Football players
Residents
The societal actors play an active role in the current project. Representatives of Sakhnin municipality, towns association, stores’ owners/business owners located in the area of Al- Mal park and football players initiated their campaigns of raising awareness via giving lectures at schools and conferences, creating awareness brochures, making slogans and producing their own videos in an attempt to highlight the importance of keeping public places clean and maintained
Mise en œuvre
A problem was identified which is leaving trash in public places. The project was developed three years ago in an attempt to reduce the discussed problem and offer solutions/suggestions. To achieve our goal, various societal actors were involved in the process of implementing the project such as representatives of Sakhnin municipality and towns association and different steps were initiated. First, introducing the topic to the participants via exposure activities. Second, determining the chosen area/land by counselors and school coordinators. Third, taking a walking tour with the students involved in the project enabling them to enjoy the attractiveness of the city, providing them with opportunities to become aware of the importance of keeping public places clean and maintained. Fourth, a campaign that aims at raising awareness among people was initiated: signs with sayings about the environment were placed in the surrounded area to the Retirement Home and along the way starting from each of the involved schools till reaching the Retirement Home, trash cans were put along the way starting from each of the schools taking part in the project till reaching the Retirement Home and trees and flowers were planted. In addition, online surveys were conducted throughout the implementation of the project and the results were analyzed aiming at reaching conclusions for developing the project and setting future plans.
This year another area was chosen which is Al-Mal park built by Sakhnin municipality because visitors leave their trash there. Additional societal actors were involved such as football players and stores' owners and businesses located nearby the chosen area. A new campaign was initiated aiming at raising awareness among students and residents. Taha Hussein students lectured at Al-Mutanabi school and started producing videos that highlight the importance of taking a stand. The problem was identified and the plan was set. The next steps will be implemented during the upcoming months: signs with sayings about the environment will be placed in the park and along the way starting from each of the involved schools till reaching the park, trash cans will be put in the park and along the way starting from each of the schools taking part in the project till reaching the park and trees and flowers will be planted. In addition, a Peak Day will be conducted. The project is still in progress.
Réflexion
רפלקציה
Throughout the process of implementing the project, we have gained many insights regarding our roles as educators. In fact, the current project has a significant impact on us as influential people who aim to achieve their goals especially those related to saving the environment. Undeniably, the project has a positive impact on our students since it has given them hope and courage to make the necessary changes in their community. Now, they are aware of the importance of keeping public places clean and maintained. Interestingly, students' responsibility increased which might be explained by the fact that implementing the project requires massive work and effort from the students. Students were active partners in the campaign of raising awareness, painting, planting trees and flowers, putting signs with sayings about the environment, cleaning public places and maintaining them. As a result, students became more responsible students who play active roles in the current project. Students' motivation also increased gradually as the project progressed. This may be due to the fact that they have enjoyed being influential students. In fact, all the schools and the other societal actors involved in the project emphasized the significance of the initiative. Furthermore, they strongly encouraged future projects that highlight involving students and residents in similar issues related to the environment and address values. All the results that revealed the usefulness of the initiative are derived from the analysis of online surveys conducted during the implementation of the project last year.
This year, we have chosen a different area in the city which is Al-Mal park because visitors leave their trash there. So, we have initiated a new campaign shedding light on raising awareness about keeping the park clean and maintained. Though we haven’t finished implementing the project yet, we have noticed that our students' motivation has increased and they are patiently waiting for the next steps in which they play active roles in protecting the environment.
Futurel Plans
The current project opens new horizons for future plans on the topic of "sustainability".
The current project included kindergartens, one elementary school and one junior high school/middle school. So, future plans should highlight expanding the activities to other schools including different age categories. For example: future projects might include high school students or college/university students. The project will be rolled out to other schools and other cities aiming at raising awareness about the importance of keeping public places clean. This process might include adapting the initiative and providing training to school staff/teachers who will be involved in implementing it. In addition, other influential people might be chosen to take part in the current project such as writers, artists and singers who might have positive effects on students and residents. Moreover, new places might be chosen for a new initiative. Definitely, other topics related to the environment can be addressed such as developing eco-friendly-cars.