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Description
Environmental discontent, even with the closest environment, is a rising concern for a large number of people. On the path to change, most of them lack competences crucial for citizen participation. The project´s aim is to implement activities leading to learning these competences and to publish a best practice manual. The focus is on the school as the center of the community, bringing together students of secondary school, their teacher, university students, active citizens. The participants will implement local mini-projects to learn basic competences for active involvement in civic society.
Summary of project results
Interest in the environment has been growing in recent years across society, especially among young people. Project partners also perceive this interest in their activities (increased interest in volunteering, a rising number of grant applicants and collaborations, increased participation in events, teachers trying to involve students in project activities and requiring methodological support for these activities, prospective teachers showing interest in fostering entrepreneurship in schools, and more). A readily achievable way to transform this interest into something tangible is to engage in collaboration on a specific activity carried out in the immediate vicinity (e.g., tree planting, greening). From our experience working with the public, we know that these individuals lack the knowledge and practical skills (identifying property and managerial relationships in the area, simple interactions with local or state authorities, basic fundraising to secure resources) that would enable them to implement their own ideas and projects.
Current school education does not emphasize these practical skills and specific knowledge necessary for active engagement in civil society, nor are they highlighted in informal adult education. When it comes to involving schools in community projects, the focus tends to be on fragmented skills or knowledge (e.g., one-time tree planting). They lack the opportunity to go through the entire process of creating such a project, from problem identification to implementation and sustainability. There is a lack of a comprehensive set of methodological guidance for active participants in the process of project management for change.
The absence of practical skills in local project implementation leads to resignation, where even minor obstacles deter active individuals from realizing their plans.
Through project activities, we aim to encourage elementary school students to engage in activities that will lead to a positive change in public spaces. With the assistance of teachers and university student teachers, the students will go through the entire process of implementing a student mini-project - from identifying the problem (what I don''t like in my surroundings, what I want to change for the better) to securing the consent and collaboration of property owners/custodians of the specific area, and also obtaining funding not only for the initial project implementation but also for its continuation (maintenance, expansion).
Through project activities, we aimed to inspire elementary school students to engage in activities that would lead to a positive change in the public space. With the assistance of teachers and university students studying education, students went through the entire process of implementing a student mini-project - from identifying a problem (what I dislike in my surroundings, what I would like to change for the better) to securing consent and cooperation from property owners/custodians of the given location, and obtaining funding not only for the initial project implementation but also for its continuation (maintenance, expansion).
Students participated in activities where they continuously learned the necessary knowledge and skills for implementing change in the public space. They received feedback and support in the form of consultations. By developing their own mini-projects to address issues in the public space in collaboration with a teacher and an education student, they went through the various project phases, reflected on them, and documented the project results. These student mini-projects produced methodological materials detailing proven approaches to promoting the development of skills and knowledge essential for civic engagement. The outcome was a manual of best practice examples designed to expand public participation activities in other communities.
Based on our experience, involving children in civic participation positively influences community engagement. The student mini-project format proves to be suitable for students to acquire knowledge and skills related to civic engagement. For teachers, education students, and the local community, it serves as an effective means of fostering an interest in active citizenship.
We engaged 961 individuals in the activities of student teams, and 294 individuals (elementary and high school students, university students, and educators) now have an increased awareness of how to participate in civic activities, which they demonstrated through the implementation of 17 student mini-projects or their participation in debates. We provided training for the leaders of two nonprofit organizations and developed two work plans for the target group.
We have created the space for 151 students so that they can implement their ideas. We wanted them to take pride in their work, to be assertive and to work together. Students often found that implementing something is difficult, but there is an opportunity to realise the goals. But there must be perseverance, diligence and above all, they have to go the first step first. Some students wrote to us that it was challenging and that they wanted to quit, but they were also happy that they took action, stayed and are proud of themselves. We believe that our project will have a lasting impact on students, teachers and university students. They have the opportunity to experience project-based learning, participation and different types of fundraising.
We have summarised all the successes and failures in the manual. We want the project to be replicated so that other teachers can try this type of project-based learning. We are already spreading the excitement of the project in discussions with environmental education lecturers, with teachers at conferences... wherever possible.
The project has been very challenging for all the people involved involved, but we have a positive feelings of good work in the end. We have learned to overcome obstacles. We looked for positive moments. Motivation was very important for us. The project was so successful that we like to brag about it.