Green Club

Creator: S+T+ARTS|Art form: Digital media|Knowledge valorisation : Co-creation, Outreach|Place: Athens,Greece|Location : Hybrid|Target group: Students / youngsters|Domains: Climate Action and Environment|Duration : Participatory Process
image credit: Unit Lab
image credit: Unit Lab

Empowering Education for Sustainable Futures

Challenge: How to creatively engage educators and students in understanding and implementing sustainability and circular economy principles within educational frameworks.

Traditional educational approaches often fail to fully convey the urgency and relevance of environmental issues, leading to a disconnect between knowledge and action. Artistic approaches serve as a powerful tool to bridge this gap by using hands-on, creative activities that allow participants to experiment with materials, transform waste into valuable resources, and visualise sustainability concepts in tangible ways. By incorporating artistic practices into workshops, such as crafting recycled objects and designing environmental sensors, the initiative inspires participants to think innovatively and critically about their environmental impact.

This creative engagement not only enhances learning outcomes but also fosters a deeper emotional connection to sustainability, motivating educators and students alike to adopt more responsible practices in their daily lives and teaching. Participants takes part in two practical trial workshops and a roundtable discussion focusing on sustainability and circularity in education. They have the opportunity to continue using the Green Club platform in their educational practices even after completing the workshop. The Green Club platform is an online platform acting as a meeting hub where teachers and schoolchildren can share their ideas, projects, and circular economy data, giving them tools for the collection of environmental data, the chance to exchange proposals, and access to a wide range of resources with which to enrich their classes.Through the club’s platform, schools are given the chance to register for an online air quality sensor via internet connection, enabling them to contribute to a citizen science environmental data map.

Disclaimer: The description of this SEED is based on publicly available information, here

Resources needed

Space for workshops, Internet connectivity, Materials provided by Unit Lab

Purpose of artistic intervention

Creatively engage participants in the exploration of sustainability and circular economy principles through hands-on activities and imaginative design. By incorporating artistic elements into the construction of wind turbines, environmental sensors, and recycled objects, participants experience the intersection of creativity and environmental responsibility. This approach enhances the educational experience by making abstract sustainability concepts tangible and interactive, allowing participants to see the beauty in repurposing materials and using technology for environmental solutions. The artistic perspective fosters a deeper emotional connection to sustainability, making the principles of circularity more memorable and impactful for students and educators.

Positive impacts

Engaging educators in practical workshops that focus on hands-on activities, such as constructing wind turbines and recycled objects, the initiative empowers teachers to incorporate innovative sustainability practices into their curricula. This experiential learning approach enhances participants’ understanding of environmental issues and equips them with the tools and confidence to inspire their students to become proactive in their communities. The extension of the Green Club platform for ongoing educational use encourages continuous engagement and collaboration, while the opportunity to contribute to a citizen science environmental data map fosters a sense of community involvement and collective action. Overall, the initiative cultivates a generation of environmentally conscious individuals who are better equipped to address pressing sustainability challenges.

Replication

The existing workshops on sustainability and circular economy principles would be tailored to fit the local context of new regions or schools, incorporating local environmental issues, materials, and cultural practices to ensure relevance. Also, collaborating with local educational institutions, environmental organizations, and technology providers would be essential to facilitate workshops and provide resources. This could include partnerships with universities, NGOs, or community organizations focused on sustainability. Implementing a train-the-trainer approach would prepare educators to facilitate the workshops independently. This could include online training sessions, resource materials, and ongoing support to ensure effective delivery.