Project presentation: 

Education to sustainable development. The aim of our project is to make our students find solutions in our school to reduce our plastic and glass waste , share these solutions and convince people of the interest for our planet of eco-friendly sustainable  attitudes and positive power through recycling.

Throughout different actions such as organizing a photo contest with all conteiners for plastic and glass waste starting from our schools and neighborhoοds, a visit of a local recycling centre and an interview with expertises from Municipality , our students can become the actors of the project and make things change not only at school but also at home and in the local community when sharing their experiences and choices.

They also develop their scientific knowledge of the environmental problems and improve their language skills in English. Besides, they learn how to better cooperate within their group and with the school community. Finally, this project enables them to become aware of the notion of “circular economy” which is also essential to an education to sustainable development.

At the beginning of the project,  to better understand the issues of the carbon footprint, students can discuss with a scientist from an institute specialized in environment and climat or meteorlogy. Throughout all the project, they can work with local associations to organize larger events based on the events done in the school.

We encourage you to visit our  School Web site : http://2gym-thivas.voi.sch.gr/r4c-project-2021/ 

Learning Objectives: 

• Develop the awareness and motivation to live sustainably
• Become responsible for their choices and find the tools to convince the community of the righteousness of these choices
• Evaluate the result of their actions and how the community feels about them. Constantly try to improve.
• Understand not only the benefits for the planet but also for their own health.
• Develops their ICT skills and scientific skills
• Understand the importance of mastering the English language for research and communication
• Understand the importance of scientific data and enquiry to develop the project and be more effective.
• Use virtual tools but also experiment on the field (visits and interviews)
• Communicate their research findings, choosing the media according to the audience or the situation
• Act directly on their environment with the help and cooperation of others
• Understand the need to keep an open mind and to be ready to share.

RRI principles: 

One of the key aspects of OSOS is the inclusion of RRI — Responsible Research and Innovation — principles (more information at RRI-Tools.eu). This is how this Accelerator fits into the RRI model:

Available partnership opportunities

• Parents: The students discuss with their families about the current situation of the planet and the need to act effectively for their own future in reducing the plastic waste and recycling . Hopefully, parents counsil and families will  support the students for the actions : recycling, avoiding plastic waste, helping for their recycling habits, sharing about their experiences and choices.

• Hellenic recycling Company: Bring scientific data and give the opportunity to lead scientific experiments linked with the recycling and climate change. Discussion with an enviromental scientist. 

• Municipality of Thebes: Enables the pupils to discover concretely how the food waste from the school canteen can be recycled and transformed into a fertilizer which then can be used by the locals for gardens or cultures. Pupils become aware of a concrete example of circular economy. Enables them to discover a large spectrum of jobs and professional experiences linked with the activity and to meet the people involved.

• Local charity center: Donation of the remaining bootles , plastic glasses and plastic caps

• Teachers: Share ideas. Help to develop students project. Guide students preparing the interview with school staff, enviromental scientist,recycling  industry.

• Other student: Test answer questionaires  and participle at the events. Discuss about the sustainable development.

• Local community: Share experience. Develop sustainable development projects like projects done in the high  school. Organize larger events based on the successful events made in the school

• Others stakeholders: 
  • School staff: participate to the event / accept some change in their high school (biology garden…) / available for interview
  • Local industry: give to the students some foods or material to realise their project (in that case : insects based products) 

Recommended resources

Relies on the observation of their school environment and interviews with the school staff, scientists and professionals.

The pupils will essentially need a Classroom dedicated to Language, a Biology classroom, IT room, colour printer, Access to the Canteen, and a bus booked for the visits.

Others suggestions

The project aims to raise students' awareness of the value of recycling and enhance the sustainability of our city and the planet. We intend to cooperate with the Greek recycling company, the respective service of the municipality of Thebes that collects recyclable materials. More activities are also planned to make constructions from recyclable materials eg plastic caps and lids (They have already tried the construction of pencil cases with the technology teacher. The activities are based on the observations and suggestions made by the students with the guidance of the teachers and institutions involved.The students are aware that their school is an open  “positive power” school that reflects sustainable changes.

Organization in charge of this Accelerator

This Accelerator has been developed  under the R4C program by Stavroula-Ioanna Kypraiou (Enviromental- geologist Teacher), Mersini Dalaka (ICT Teacher). 

Pindareio 2nd Junior High school of Thebes

Avlidos 1 st. , 32200 Thebes , Greece

Telephone : +302262027024
Mail : mail@2gym-thivas.voi.sch.gr