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In mid-March, primary school children from Klax School travelled to their partner school in Oulu, Finland, as part of an Erasmus+ project.
In 2022, the "Our Happy Future" working group has been set up in five schools across Europe: in addition to Klax School, schools in Italy, Lithuania, France and Finland are also involved in this special partnership. In the working group, students explore ways to find alternatives to plastic products and integrate them into everyday school life. Intercultural exchange is also an important part of the programme. The members of the working group meet regularly to exchange ideas - in March the Klax primary students travelled to Finland to visit their partner school in Oulu. Other members of the working group from Latvia and Spain travelled there as well.
Focus on plastic avoidance: learning and acting together
During their meeting with the motto ‘Think Plastic Free’, the members of the working group took part in lessons at the host school and discussed the topic of plastic pollution together. For example, after going sledging together: the students discussed the plastic sleds they had just used and whether they had released microplastic particles into the environment through abrasion. On a hike through the Finnish snowy landscape, the children also analysed the consequences of so-called ghost nets. Up to 10,000 fishing nets are lost every year - a serious problem for fish and the entire marine ecology. At the visitor centre in Iso-Syöte, Finland's southernmost mountain, the students also learned about the flora and fauna of Lapland.
Intercultural experiences and creative solutions for the future
The children also documented their own plastic consumption during the trip and discovered many sources of microplastics - from cosmetics to synthetic textiles. Based on these findings, the students explored possible plastic-free alternatives. Together with the other members of the working group, they discussed and presented creative solutions to avoid plastic in everyday (school) life.
In addition, the students developed a deeper understanding of Finland's unique nature and culture through other activities, such as snow hiking, ice skating and ice fishing. Intercultural skills were also developed by staying with Finnish host families.
The computer playground designed by Klax school mentor Linda Liukas
As a special highlight, the Klax students also visited the computer playground in Helsinki designed by their school mentor Linda Liukas. The playground offers many opportunities to explore the basics of programming in a creative way and thus learning through experience.
After an eventful week in the northernmost country of the European Union, the participants returned to Berlin. In their travel diaries and logbooks, they recorded what they had learned about sustainability, plastic avoidance and intercultural cooperation. With many memories, new ideas and full of energy, they now continue their work for a more sustainable environment in Berlin.
(Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.)
