School for sustainable development

Date: 14/02/2020

As a continuous engagement of the Civil Society Organization “Eco logic”in terms of raising the awareness of the importance of sustainability goals, as well as affirming of the role that young people have in accomplishing positive changes in the society, in 2018 there was a need to organize sustainability camps, and that lead to the “School for sustainable development”.

“School for sustainable development”,is in fact an informal learning and understanding of the sustainable development goals (set by the United Nations for 2030) through numerous activities, interactive tools, educational games (prepared by the Civic association Eco Logic), and modules within the implementation of the camps in different regions of the country.

The main goal is education the pupils of the high-schools in Republic of Macedonia regarding this niche, and at the same time this is motivating them, or in other words, making them active to act upon solutions in various eco-problems in their area of living, with which it will be contributed toward:

Increase of the eco-youth activism in the area of the environment;
Receiving awards on theoretic, as well as practical knowledge in the area of ecology as science;
Promotion of practical implementation of the Sustainable Development principle;
Offering possibilities for involvement, engagement of all high-school students in various eco-projects, eco-campaigns aimed to promote and improve the preservation of the environment, etc.

Within each camp “Sustainability Camp” the main focus is placed on working on a separate topic that is linked to preservation of the environment, for example: lessening of the climate changes, dealing with massive amounts of waste in certain cities, etc.

Through “School for sustainable development“, the high-school students have the opportunity to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals, and also about the current local problems connected to a certain goal, and with this said to acquire better skills on surpassing this, and to become promoters of a healthy and clean environment.

Implemented activities within “School for sustainable development“

Sustainability Camp – Episode 1, sustainable cities and communities

Organized together with the Civil Society Organization “Eco logic”, and supported by City of Skopje, and foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, from 18 to 21 October there was the “Sustainability Camp” held in Ohrid where the sustainable development goals of the United Nations were presented through interactive methods of learning such as board games, group work, and similar fun activities.

In the camp there were 26 students included from first (freshmen), second (sophomore), third (junior), and fourth (senior) year in high-school, from a total of 12 high-schools in the City of Skopje. The camp activities were implemented through various individual and group activities, debates, workshops, and games, of course there was also the leisure fun section where participants interacted more casually as well.

Sustainability camp – Episode 2 / Learning of the sustainable development goals

Participants of Valandovo, Kumanovo, M. Kamenica, Prilep, Skopje, and Kochani were present on the camp. They had the opportunity to take part in different activities as a part of the camp program, for example: icebreaking activities, specific problem selection connected to the 17 UN goals, visit of the educational center Negrevo, implementing of an SDG quiz, activity or a challenge linked to the 17 UN goals, educational game Eco Logic Ludo, etc. Through these activities was enabled: improvement of the knowledge on sustainable development goals set by United Nations, group work in teams that work a specific topic on various ecological themes – all of this was stimulating their innovative and creative thinking.

Sustainability camp – Episode 3 / Air pollution and waste

The sustainability camp was implemented in November, in Ohrid, where the 24 participants of 12 high-schools from City Skopje were present. The participants had the opportunity to learn better the sustainable development goals, to look through the suggested challenges and problems in accordance to the received applications, to work in groups and research on the topic waste and air pollution. In addition, the students defined a local problem through the use of the sustainable development tool created by Eco Logic. Through that tool, the students affirmed benefits, users, challenges, included parties, outcomes, and in the end they shared their solutions. The outcome was: improving the knowledge of high-school students on air pollution and waste, encouraging their inclusion for giving suggestions and ideas on providing innovative solutions and products.

Suggestion of products by the students as a result of the camp with the following titles: Eco Plast, Depot of Macedonia, Robohop, and online application Soberime.mk.

Method of choosing students that are a part of the implemented activities (sustainability camps)

The selection of participants that will be a part of the organized camps is through a public call of participation. The same public call is published on social media (fb pages) of Eco Logic and “School for sustainable development”, and it is officially sent out to schools as well. The students received a task to share an idea on the method of problem linked to the camp theme, supported by a photograph of the immediate surroundings and environment.

Various types of applications were received to the public call, i.e., ideas – covered research studies on the topic; inspirational narratives and essays; innovative ideas for facing the local challenges, etc.

Furthermore, photographs were received as well – surrounding photographs; drawings; processed internet photographs, etc.

In accordance, the set criteria as well – idea and a photograph signifying originality, critical thinking, and motivation for handling local problems and challenges, and selecting students that will participate in the camp.

Workshops with professors from high-schools

After the implemented camps for sustainability, there were also organized meetups with the professors, i.e., representatives from the high-schools where there was sharing of the implemented activities and products with the goal of reducing the local problems, and those same activities and products are a result of the innovative approach of the pupils-participants of the camp. At the same time were exchanged some suggestions on future steps linked to the goals for sustainable development, within “School for sustainable development”, and broader too, as part of the same educational process. Taking into consideration the recommendations and conclusions of the United Nations that emphasize the need of integration of principles, values and practices of sustainable development in all aspects of the education and learning, on these workshops a discussion was developed as well, and it covered introducing sections or clubs “Goals of sustainable development”.

With this goal in mind, the professors were divided into groups where they used the tool for sustainable development, the educational concept created from the Civil Society Organization “Eco logic”. In this way were discussed the advantages, possibilities, users, outcomes, challenges, and affected parties of forming a club of sustainability, or introducing this topic in extracurricular activities.

From the professors, there was an impression of their great interest to start such an activity in the educational process.

Suggestions on including in the extracurricular activities

The suggestion was that these clubs are comprised mostly of pupils from sophomores (2nd year), and juniors (3rd year), and they should function as “project activities”. Furthermore, it was discussed how these project activities will be connected, and they would complement each other from one to another work session/meeting.

As far as the “follow up” activities go as a result of the implemented “camps for sustainability”, there is also an additional development of ideas as a result of the pupils.

Survey questionnaire

Additionally, an evaluation questionnaire is already in process, with the goal of estimating the opinions of relevant target groups in relation to forming so-called camps or sections for sustainability.

At the same time, the survey questionnaire has the goal of affirming the viewpoints on the way products will be completed by the pupils on the camps for sustainability. In other words, the thinking ways and suggestions on functioning will be reviewed in details, as well as the needed materials, level of readiness or the need of training for the professors, in order to start a new process for long-term creating of generations that will be prepared and motivated to solve significant challenges/problems of the society, through knowing and affirming the goals of sustainable development.

What is important for these realized activities?

Active involvement, suggestions, ideas, innovative solutions and products, discussion, creativity, enhancing knowledge about local problem, etc.
Young people are aware of the current problems and are ready to start moving forward to encourage changes.

Youth are the present, not only the future. So we need to preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s world.

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