Awareness on environmental protection and the effects of climate change needs to be nurtured from a young age, particularly in school – a place where pupils get to reflect on and assess human interventions and think about ways to contribute to their communities and wider society for the better.
Eco activities are commonly practiced in many schools around the world, with the goal of bringing environmental issues closer to the attention of communities, and with this in mind, Keep Georgia Tidy, in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, and with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, launched a new eco-friendly program for schools in Georgia.
‘Eco-friendly Mobile School’ is a set of learning and interactive activities designed to raise awareness about environmental challenges, to involve schoolchildren, teachers and parents in cognitive activities, and to motivate them to turn the acquired knowledge into daily action.
Within the frames of the special educational program, along with a theoretical part and practical activities, participants also experience eco-friendly opportunities and tools that significantly reduce environmental problems. Through hands-on activities, they learn how the school community can be a part of positive environmental change.
Training modules were created by specialists for the program, the content of which is based on the five priority environmental topics of the International Eco-Schools Program: Climate Change, Biodiversity, Litter and Waste, and Energy and Energy Resources, and Water and Water resources. These are the main issues on which the new program is based and presented in schools, also taking into consideration local challenges and environmental issues.
In the first stage of the project, educational activities are being held in public schools of 10 regions of Georgia: in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Imereti, Adjara, Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti, Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kakheti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. The schools were chosen in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth, based on needs and the available resources.
Sagarejo Public School N2 kicked off its workshop with the message “Knowing the importance of Biodiversity – it is a special power with which you can protect yourself and others.” The children there studied how biodiversity protection helps us to maintain good health, to reduce natural threats to agriculture and food security, and how it empowers us economically. Afterwards, it was agreed that they would pay greater attention to the many living beings around them, observe them and, most importantly, make their protection a daily concern.
Rustavi Public School N5 had a focus on “Eco-friendly lifestyle for less plastic and air pollution.”
Besides an interactive presentation, the participants engaged in practical work and discussed the topic, taking into account the latest research, and identified what threats environmental pollution poses to health and well-being. Students learned about modern environmental protection approaches, and analyzed how many threats exist around us, and how each of us can be involved in improving the ecological situation and taking action today.
At Gori Public School N1, the topic of the workshop was Waste Management, raising awareness about it, and encouraging eco-friendly actions. The trainer spoke with the pupils about waste management, the importance of sustainable fashion, and the secondary use of fabrics. Then the participants got to discover the concept of zero waste with the help of practical activities and to create new things with second-hand fabrics and clothes.
We can reach more students and schools if the school community, public sector and donors are actively involved
At Kutaisi Public School N1, KGT’s field experts introduced the participants to the natural and anthropological causes of climate change and the expected outcomes. Observing the weather with meteorological instruments was an eye-opener for the pupils, who conducted a small experiment on the dangers of global warming and then discussed how to mitigate the effects of climate change globally and locally.
The pupils of Tsageri Public School also looked into climate change and the related hazards, talking with the trainers about the causes of the climate hazards and the consequences, as well as the stages of natural disaster risk management and their importance. Afterwards, the students, together with the trainers, got involved in practical activities and evaluated the possible risks of natural disasters and learned how to protect themselves by modeling floods and landslides.
GEORGIA TODAY got in touch with two of the KGT trainers to find out more about the beneficiaries and activities carried out.
Trainer Tina Maghedani told us that before this project, she led the civil movement ‘Gavigude’ for 5 years, which fights against air pollution in Rustavi.
“Then, in 2021, I founded the organization ‘Eco Center,’ which works in the direction of environmental protection with schools, children, and teachers. Accordingly, we have quite a lot of experience in this direction, and that is why KGT contacted us asking us to get involved,” she tells us.
Trainer Eka Arsenashvili graduated from Ilia State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology, then became interested in working in nature and switched to ecology and started researching wildlife.
“My main focus is arthropods, specifically insects,” she says. “There was low awareness in this direction; few people are aware of these amazing creatures that need to be protected. That’s why I got involved in this educational direction.”
Why is this such an important topic to introduce to Georgia’s school pupils?
Tina: In general, it is very important to raise student awareness of the environmental direction in schools, because even when working with one student, we indirectly affect the people around them. They then go and share this information with family members, peers, etc. In addition, we are facing a lot of environmental challenges in the world today, and it is very important that as many children as possible are involved in such activities.
Eka: Apart from the big cities, the regions really need promotion and help to provide the right information about the importance of environmental protection. The theme of my workshop was biodiversity as a bridge to a better future. The main focus was on local biodiversity, directly in the regions we were visiting – Kakheti and Samtskhe-Javakheti. The topics were also urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, and we discussed biodiversity issues in their region.
Can you give us some examples of the “hands-on activities” that were employed, and the reactions these got from the beneficiaries?
Tina – I conducted a training on air pollution, and on waste management-recycling. In addition to the theoretical part, the training included practical examples. The children were able to sort waste on the spot and take part in a quiz. It was a great way to explore environmental challenges. As it turned out, they couldn’t even imagine the seriousness of the situation, that such great damage would occur in different directions of the environment, in terms of air pollution, waste management, reduction of biodiversity, etc., and their answers were often out of touch with reality. The training module was designed in such a way that they were motivated to contribute to solving the problems. After the training, they said they would continue to sort plastic, and to spread the knowledge gained during the training in their local community and go on to set an example to others.
Eka – Our main goal was to make them interested in different living things. Through these trainings, they got more information about Georgia’s wild species, to learn more about them, and love them. After this training, the children tell others about their experiences, share their knowledge and make others love wildlife. We teach them how to observe nature, how to take photos and post them online so our experts can help with species identification. When they feel a sense of ownership, for example, a student saw this or that species in their yard or city, they start to care for them and protect them more. They want to protect the wildlife around them.
How can this project be made more sustainable so that more people benefit?
Tina – The training can be made more sustainable and reach more students and schools if the school community, public sector and donors are actively involved.
Eka – After completion of the trainings, we continue to communicate with the children and make sure that these trainings do not have a one-time nature, but continue to reflect their knowledge and awareness in terms of environmental protection. The project could become more sustainable with even more schools involved and with even more diversity of communities. We need to bring information on even more issues to schools to increase interest.
Asian Development Bank is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members, 49 from the region. ADB is in close collaboration with the Georgian Ministry of Education, Science and Youth to find ways to incorporate topics of climate change in the everyday learning environment of schools. Concrete steps have been identified and ADB continues its partnership with the Ministry in this direction.
Keep Georgia Tidy (KGT) is a Georgian SCO operating in the country and covering all territory of Georgia, which is actively involved in environmental activities with the aim to improve the ecological condition of Georgia and its ecosystem. One of the main directions of KGT is the development of environmental knowledge and skills among schoolchildren. Since 2020, the organization has become the local representative of the International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), in cooperation with whom the International Eco-Schools Program is being introduced in Georgia.
By Katie Ruth Davies
