Case Studies

Greenlijan

Environmental education for 105 students from the local schools of Dilijan

Delivered by:  Mikayel Kamendatyan from UWC Dilijan in 2019

Background

An environmental education project for 105 students from the local schools of Dilijan held at the Dilijan Community Center. The project was aimed at raising awareness about the global and local environmental issues that threaten our present and the future of our children.

Besides raising awareness, the project was also aimed at improving the team building and team work skills among the local students through initiating different group-based discussions about the possible everyday-solutions to the problems such as the unsustainable use of water and energy, as well as about deforestation and air pollution.

As well as Besides holding environmental seminars, we recycled the paper waste of the students and jointly made Papier-mâché, in order to give the second life to paper. This was done in cooperation with “Made,” a design company that has an affiliation with Dilijan Community Center. 

How They Made A Difference

During the project, we recycled approximately 200 KG of used paper. The project lasted 3 months, the 105 students representing 5 schools from Dilijan were divided into 5 groups, each consisting of about 20 people. Each group met for two weeks (4 sessions overall for each).

Throughout those 10 weeks students gained theoretical knowledge, but also augmented their analytical skills through watching ecology-related cartoons and analyzing the meanings of those through discussions. Each group was given different critical group activities that would make the students come up with own solutions to different environmental issues that are present in Dilijan.

At the end of each session the participating students were encouraged to share the information that they had learnt with their friends and family members in order to spread the message of primitive environmental protection with positive long term effects as far as possible.

The next stage of the Greenlijan project is going to be the tree planting in the central park of Dilijan in order to revive “the lungs of Armenia,” in which all 105 students with their teachers are going to take part. This is going to happen in spring.

Ultimately, the first stage of my project has made a difference in the community of Dilijan, as the majority of the citizens now have a refreshed worldview on the topic of sustainability, and have become the ambassadors of sustainable lifestyle, which is thanks to the sessions which were organized in frames of “Greenlijan!”

 

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Ultimately, my project has made a difference in the community of Dilijan, as the majority of the citizens now have a refreshed worldview on the topic of sustainability and have become the ambassadors of sustainable lifestyle