STEAM education for plastic-free primary schools
Break Free From Plastic has been working on solutions to stop plastic pollution for good, and young people are an important part of reaching this vision!
Youth and education spaces have been driving forces for action and change in the climate, human rights, and pro-democracy movements. Young people need the support, more than ever, to be able to realize this vision of a plastic-free society starting with the spaces where they grow, learn, and flourish—schools!
The Final Ceremony and Award of the winning videos was an enjoyable half day event that was held in the Netherlands, in Echt Connect College, on 30 March 2023.
The agenda of the event included a key note speech on current challenges around plastic pollution and ways to motivate our students on the topic, followed by a presentation of PLASTEAM and its main outcomes, a series of experiential workshops, and the announcement of the winning video of the international video contest.
Short list of the nationally awarded videos that reached the stage of the international Final Contest:
Romania: Scoala Gimnaziala D.R. Popescu, Nojorid and, Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 30 of Timisoara (secondary)
Greece: Themistokis Primary School
Malta: St Francis School, Victoria, Gozo (primary), St Theresa School, Kercem (secondary)
Netherlands: Team anti-plastic game from Jacinta in Breda (Primary) & Team Team ‘Kenya from Wings’ in Roermond (Secondary)
The three-member jury of the international contest awarded the videos of St. Francis Primary School of Gozo (Malta) and the Scoala Gimnaziala Nr. 30 of Timisoara (Romania). View moment of the official announcement, by the Jury chair, Ms Irene Fichera from Effebi (VIDEO FILE)
Congratulations to the winning teams and to all participating students for their motivation, good mood and creativity! We know very well that squeezing the students’ work of several months into a 1.5 minute video was not an easy task for them. We are hopeful that the participation to the contest motivated them further to make changes in their school and in their lives to reduce plastic use.
Secondary education – Team ‘Kenya from Wings’ in Roermond:
The students collected plastic bottles that otherwise would have been thrown away. The money form the deposit of the bottles is collected and donated to poor people in Kenya.
Primary education – Team anti-plastic game from Jacinta in Breda:
The students developed and made a game. At the beginning of the week you take a card with a challenge, at the end of the week the students discuss how the challenge went. The challenges are all about the use of less plastic, re-use plastic or use an alternative. VIEW VIDEO (with permission to publish)
Are you looking for some inspiration on what you can do at school to minimise plastic?
Check how a group of primary school children from Bristol (UK) have persuaded their headmaster to install refill machines instead of milk cartons to help the environment. They save around 150 cartons per day, which adds up to about 28,000 a year!
On 9/2/2023 NEMO held a PLASTEAM event for teachers and students. The participants engaged in two of the STEAM-Box activities; Make something wearable from plastics and Labels in plastics and other products. Also the teachers and students were introduced to the PLASTEAM Plastic contest and received information on how to work on a plastic related problem in their school, and how to enter to the contest.
Interesting article with recent data on micro-plastics and nano-plastics recently found in the blood of healthy adults. According to the article most “alternative” plastics are not safer for us, despite their claims.
Credits: www.theconversation.com
Earlier this year Eurodimensions held an event for teachers related to STEM promoting also the PLASTEAM project, through a 2-day event. PLASTEAM and specifically the STEAM-Box was presented by Marika Huber with a detailed PPT and various videos that highlighted the impact plastic has on the environment, green washing and the forceful impact that daily items (such as clothing) have on our environment.
The teachers were stunned with some specific aspects related to green washing and the origins of microbeads. The following day, teachers were introduced to the Technology and the Environment with hands on activities by Kevin Spiteri, an Education Consultant for Further and Higher Education.
NOTPLA: This UK based start-up company that substitutes plastic for seaweed has just won the prestigious 1million £ Earthshot Prize.
Globally abundant and fast-growing, seaweed doesn’t require freshwater, land nor fertiliser. This sea vegetable can turn out to be one of our greatest weapons against plastic pollution as well as climate change.
Read more
On 18 January 2023 the Multiplier event was organised by Themisoklis School, Greece. The event was attended by more than 100 participants, including students, teachers and their families. After presenting the project, and some of its Key outputs, including the STEAM-Box, the 6 nominations’ for the video contest were presented and the winner was announced.
Congratulations to the winning team of 6th grade from Themistoklis that will take part in the final contest in Holland.
View video with shots from the event.