An introductory workshop of the project Sustainable Student Enterprises in Croatian Secondary Schools

Introductory online workshop of the project ‘’ Sustainable student enterprises in Croatian high schools – green enterprises promote sustainable entrepreneurial thinking and action of young people in Croatia’’ was held 29 of April 2020 via Zoom platform. The project is collaboration between German partner DGU – Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Umwelterziehung with support from the German Environmental Foundation –Deutcsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU).

Besides the employees from the Association Sunce Split, who organized the workshop, other participants were:

  • Blanka Horvat, General Secretary of the Croatian Association of School Cooperatives  (HUUZ)
  • Josipa Banić, Head of the HUUZ of the Split-Dalmatia County and Director of the Elementary School “Mejaši”
  • Karmela Lukas, representative of the UZ ‘’ Jablan’’ and High School ‘’Jure Kaštelan’’, Omiš
  • Marijana Bjeliš and Ivana Lelas, representative of the School Cooperative ”Trišnja” and High School ”Braća Radić”, Kaštel Štafilić and the student Anita Puđa, High School ”Braća Radić”
  • Marijana Petrić Maršić, representative of the Craft technical School, Split
  • Darija Ćerdić Vukušić and Ana Marija Ugrin, representatives of the School for Sustainable Development, design, graphics and sustainable construction with their students Sonja Ležaja and Dino Vrtlar
  • Robert Lorenz, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Umwelterziehung (DGU) project partner

Workshop has started by introducing the participants and their expectations from workshop, introduction with the project partner and project activities and the revised schedule of activities, changed in accordance with the situation (regarding pandemic).

Following the introduction of the activities, HUUZ has presented situation with the student cooperatives in Croatia. In the last couple of year number of the student cooperatives in Croatia has grew up so there are currently 607 of them, and most of them are in the city of Zagreb and the Split-Dalmatia County. 469 of the operate in elementary schools, 102 of them are operating in High Schools , 4 of them are in student dorms and 32 of them in education centers. 67 of them are based in Split – Dalmatia County, 56 of them are in elementary schools, 9 of them are in High School, one is in educational center ‘’Juraj Bonači’’ and one is in the student dorm. Student cooperatives within our County are as diverse as the county itself and adapt to the traditional and agricultural features of their climate (islands, hinterland and coast).

They are influencing in 4 fields:

  1. field of agriculture production,
  2. traditional crafts and trades,
  3. making decorative and useful objects,
  4. conducting research work.

At the end of the introductory workshop, employees of Sunce have introduced the participants with the Ecofield Zrno, which project participants are planning to visit in the autumn. Two previous study trips who were part of previous project with the same German partners also were presented: ‘’Participate in Sustainable development’’ (2013. – 2015.) and ‘’ Students learn about civic engagement – socially useful learning of nature and environmental protection ” (2016. – 2018.). Plan for the study trip trough this project is also presented. Field trip should be around Berlin and Erfurt in selected  locations – schools – student cooperatives which will contribute to spread of the knowledge and experience necessary for the further development of student cooperatives in Croatia.

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