The pilot volume of the program ENVIROeducation of youth is successfully finished
In this year, The Ekopolis Foundation in cooperation with the foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa has started the pilot volume of the environmental education for high schools in Slovakia. 6 high schools were involved in this volume and beside the education for their students, they had a chance to win 1 000 € in the competition. The winner has become Gymnázium J.G. Tajovského in Banská Bystrica.
The goal of the project ENVIROeducation of the youth was to organise environmental education on topic Adaptation on climate changes in slovak high schools. In the pilot volume, 6 schools from Banská Bystrica, Košice, Poprad and Zvolen were included in the education. “Through this project, we have were provided young people with information about global environmental problems and we have inspired them to do changes in local communities where they live,” says Martina B, Paulíková, lector and program manager of The Ekopolis Education.
Part of the education was a lecture by Juraj Mesík about global problems, climate changes and environment. The lecture was followed by the workshop for students. “Students divided in groups proposed actions that could be done by their class, school or group of students and that could help their city to adapt on climate change,” adds Martina B. Paulíková. Thereafter, they put their steps into competition draft and competed for the winning price worth of 1 000 euros.
Expert committee chose Gymnázium J. G. Tajovského in Banská Bystrica as the winner of the pilot volume. The goal of the project Tajovského kontrabetonáž was to make the concrete courtyard of the high school greener, more pleasant, more attractive and more ecological. .
“Students in their free time got rid of weeds, planted trees and greenery and filled the space with mulching bark. In spring they are going to plant the lawn and herbs. Trees and bushes are marked with little information boards so the whole space can be used not just for relaxation but also for outdoor education. Part of the project was the purchase of containers capturing rainwater which would otherwise create puddles in concrete, so it could be used to water plants in the courtyard what would cut the consumption of water. We also bought recycling bins and bike holders,” says Milan Kováčik, creator of the project and student of the high school.
“It is very motivating to see young people who are thoughtful and full of energy to change something, engage and take responsibility for the state of the environment in their immediate surrounding. This was the case in the opening of the winning project Tajovského kontrabetonáž. That is exactly why I consider the education beside the classic lessons as very important. Because diverse impulses expand and deepen the knowledge of young people, which they will for sure implement if their future,” concludes Lenka Krížanová, specialist, Foundation of Slovenská sporiteľňa.
Link for fotogalériu
Link for video zo slávnostného otvorenia
Contacts:
Eva Ščepková, The Ekopolis Foundation, scepkova@ekopolis.sk, 0908 565 464.