Empowering the next generation to take the lead on sustainability
Striving towards a greener future cannot be achieved without a collaborative effort from all walks of life and it is especially important to educate and inspire the next generation to help support a sustainable future. That’s why we at VEOCEL™ have rolled out a scientific school project under the “It’s in our hands” initiative, partnering with educators at Science Pool, a non-profit company based in Austria specializing in pre-science education on climate protection and sustainability. Our goal is to enhance understanding in young people around the world about biodegradability and sustainability.
Science as an educational tool
Our school project aims to encourage the next generation to use science experiments and research to gain knowledge. 15 schools across Austria, Germany and the US participated in the first phase of the project, with students aged between 10 to 16 years old. The tutorials and worksheets developed by Science Pool explained the experiment procedure and provided extensive information on the degradability of materials used for everyday products. Not only could students analyze the data from their own experiments, they could also evaluate their findings in comparison with the data from countries from other climate zones. This allowed students to gain a better understanding of how different climates affect the degradability of materials.
Achieving fruitful results
Many teachers were enthusiastic about the project and the positive food for thought it provided for their students. Through first-hand experience, students were able to learn how purchasing decisions based on the degradability of everyday consumer products can make a difference to the planet, such as choosing products which use biodegradable VEOCEL™ branded fibers. Not only that, but it instilled in the students the concept of caring for their environment and caring for the future – a core part of the VEOCEL™ brand. The project raised many exploratory questions and generated ground-breaking insights that showed the project was an overall success. All of the students provided positive feedback and indicated they would be keen to learn more in the next school year.
Expanding the project further
Looking ahead, more teachers and students are excited to join the project. Selected schools in Austria and Germany will participate in the next phase and we look forward to inviting a class to visit Lenzing and give them a guided tour through the factory. In the future, we hope to extend the project to younger primary school children all around the world. Our mission is to encourage education systems globally to incorporate sustainability messaging into their school programs and motivate the next generation to learn more about protecting our future, as it really is in their hands.
Read more about the inspiring results of this initiative here.
This initiative is presented by
