“Magic lamp Genie” Club – Earth care, till becomes a lasting habit

The story is one of the long-lasting and lovely parts of human life throughout history, especially well-known and popular children’s stories worldwide. That was the main idea that helped a group of five- to ten-year-old children create their club. Concerned about our planet, these children organized story-telling sessions to teach earth care. First, they studied how to take care of the earth and researched to know the basic needs of the Iranian community in this field. They had some discussion sessions, and with the help of their facilitators, they chose the story of the Magic lamp Genie.

The story-telling sessions were held, and based on conversations, the children found out that “only a giant cannot save the earth, for protecting the planet everyone should become a giant, and if we join together, we will form a giant who sends the messages of earth care loud and clear. In this way, we may convey our letters to the people and ask everyone to participate, build a chain of support and care, and become a change makers. That is how we may do magic to save the earth.

The team decided to organize a party for some other children. They had so much in mind and had to divide the tasks. As they discussed, they found out there is so much to do: set time, designing fun games, making puzzle, renting a fog machine, making enchanted lamps, asking a teacher to play the role of earth fairy, preparing and pricing tickets, and so! Such a big and attractive project wouldn’t be without exhaustion, disappointment, and many surprises! But, after all, they managed everything, and the party was held.

The party had several fun games, and each contained some indirect messages. First, all the
participants heard a story, and then they went to a foggy yard, and each of them turned into a
giant. Then the children met the earth fairy! The poor fairy was surrounded by harmful garbage and had some notes on her dress to help children. Children read the notes and found out how to clean the fairy, so she becomes able to clean the earth.

After that all the children solve the magic lamp puzzle and while working, they become aware
of the characteristics of an earth-friendly consumer and discuss those characteristics. Then it
was the turn of peace cranes. They came to the help of the giants and teach the children ”
How to be at peace with the earth”. Every cranes have a note about important techniques for taking care of the earth. At the end of the party, all the gusts received a small enchanted lamp and a crane. Now they were all the ambassadors of earth care.

The children were happy and satisfied that they were agents of change. They had informed
their peers and instead of waiting for a miracle, they made a human chain, a real giant for
Earth care.

Read the other great activities conducted by the students here: Sustainability Challenge

Cleaning the River Shore Ecological Project

Schoolchildren from school-lyceum No8 together with the teachers cleaned the territories near the river. “It’s up to us as parents and educators to encourage the next generation to do more to save our nature. It’s up to us to let our children know that they really can make a difference” said an educator from the school.

And so this shoreline clean up was the perfect thing to do over the spring months! Not only will it empower the kids in our lives, it’ll also make Vinnitsa’s river banks a clean and comfortable place to be for the people. If it doesn’t make it to a landfill (where all your garbage goes), it will find its way to waterways like rivers. So a group of Vinnitsa lyceum`s schoolchildren from different backgrounds with a common interest in the environment, came together to improve their surroundings by collecting up all sorts of litter, that would otherwise end up in Landfill and to inspire other young people that you can really make a difference so that other people can enjoy the natural beauty of their surroundings.

As we know over 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered in water, and everything that lives on the earth (including you!) needs water to survive. So, it’s important to think about ways to conserve water.

With clean rivers, communities could benefit both socially and economically. Clean, healthy rivers reduce human health risk and improved quality of life.

“Generation of Conscious” Eco Bags

The goal of our social project is to involve as many people as possible to spread ecological principles; to provide basic knowledge of economics, financial literacy, legislation; deepen global knowledge about the world and current problems of humanity; build external and internal communication; find the place in the team; spread the idea of self-awareness. The launched project is closely intertwined with the support of IDP (internaly displaced person) children, for their quick adaptation and socialization in the new team.

The entire educational family is actively involved in the production of eco bags, grocery bags and flicker tapes. Someone finances, someone sews and draws, and someone popularizes and buys.

Proceeds go to charity to help children affected by the war and to the needs of the school.

During the development of the enterprise, we started making wax candles, decorating them with various flowers. In order to raise as much money as possible, our team decided not only to sell finished products, but also to teach how to make them, and this is how the first master classes began.

Tuna Candle Project

The Students Lab association, in collaboration with Asse 4, has involved our class in the PCTO path which involves the creation of a start-up. Dr. Federica Marinoni guided us through the process of design of a product/service to participate in the national Students Lab contest. The product will then be presented in international connection with Aflatoun and all the guys project participants. As part of this activity, our MiniCompany has created the launch of a candle made with recycled materials that has a target between 15 and 60 years old.

The name of the brand is Flamma, translated from the Latin: “flame”, taken into consideration as the origin of the Italian language. We have tried to combine the useful with the sustainable, creating recycled wax candles, placed in reused tin cans. Following the brainstorming, each member of the group made logo proposals and the one of Chiara Re, Art and Production Manager, was then chosen.

In The Light Project

The Students Lab association, called for the creation of three mini companies, which have the task of selling a product or service. Our mini company, called ‘in the light’, is a corporation that sells as a product a lamp made from a recycled glass bottle, with LED lights inserted inside and a lampshade. We created this product to have something innovative and special inside the home instead of the usual classic lamp. It is a sustainable project because it is made from recycled glass bottles.

For the Sustainability Challenge we organized a sustainability workshop for our volunteers.

There are five different groups in the workshop, which is designed as a roleplay. These groups
are; the state, civil society, the citizen whose injured party (who is personally harmed by the
problem), the susceptible citizen, and the companies. The participants splinter up into these five
groups. Participants know the roles and the tasks they have to do. The purpose of the
participants; in line with the given case study, they offer policies or solutions suitable for their
roles.

The case studies given are left open to discussion about the social and financials SDGs. All
solution suggestions listen by the whole team. After that interest representation are carried out
between the groups. The aim here is to solution proposals by collaborating to make other
groups accept yourself policies. After interest representation, a vote have to politicize the
solution proposals. Solution proposals that receive at least three votes are accepted. Thus, while
the youths are directed to be conscious and participatory citizens, it is aimed to increase their
empathy skills, solution generation, critical thinking and financial skills and awareness of SDGs.

Let’s take care of the Environment together!

The students from Vinnitsa School N4 conducted a series of activities on taking care of the environment, such as recycling and reusing old materials, learning about plants and planting new trees in the city, saving water, composting, and using energy rationally.

Crafts from Recycling

The students prepared materials from used objects such as paper, plastic. Some of them made pots from used plastic bottles. Some of them made plastic bowls and put cat food in them. Some of them prepared a poster to catch attention to the subject. One of them prepared a box to collect plastic covers of the bottles.