Study trip as part of the ML-free project
Students from the Marco Polo artistic high school in Venice, from May 20 to 24, visited their peers and project partners, students from the School of Economics and Administration Split. Together, during a five-day study trip, they worked on addressing the cross-border challenge of marine litter.
– We enriched our knowledge about environmental protection through various activities and destinations we visited. We realized how necessary it is to react as soon as possible to prevent further pollution of the Adriatic. – said student Anđela Plavčić.
What did high school students prepare for elementary school pupils?
Sunce employees, together with the students, developed joint pilot projects and corresponding communication campaigns during organized workshops. The students prepared these throughout the week and finally presented them to the students of Skalice Elementary School.
Pupils from three lower grades of Skalice Elementary School had the opportunity to learn about the challenges that Adriatic sea faces through fun activities. An interactive game called I play to protect the sea was presented in the school’s botanical garden. This interactive game is the idea and pilot project of students from the Split School of Economics and Management, developed as part of the Sunce workshops.
Sunce employees conducted a workshop on testing the chemical properties of seawater and a workshop on making decorative items from marine litter. Litter used to create the decorative items was collected during a cleanup action at Pantan as part of the study trip.
– The students showed interest in conducting sea testing experiments as well as in the educational game. We are glad that some of them left with a new decorative item they made in the workshop. It always makes me happy to see the enthusiasm of the students in the workshop and the engagement of the high school students in the role of educators. – said Martina Talajić, the workshop coordinator.
How was our study trip?
The students toured the historic core of Split with a visit to the Italian Community of Split. They cleaned the beach in the special reserve of Pantan, followed by a lecture from the City of Trogir on the example of good waste management practices as a part of Plastic Smart Cities initiative and then took a walk through the city center. They also visited the Marjan forest park and visitd Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. At the Institute attended a professional lecture on the environmental impact of marine waste.
Students had a lecture at the Jadro Visitor Center and a walk through the park. In Omiš, they attended a lecture on the Sub-merus initiative From river to the sea – let’s be plastic free and from the municipal company Peovica d.o.o., they learned about the waste management system in Omiš. After that, students walked along the thematic trail of st. Leopold Mandić and enjoyed the nature of the Cetina river canyon.
Thanks to the hospitality of all mentioned, the study trip was a truly interesting, dynamic, and unforgettable experience for our students. Students, a bit tired at the end of the dynamic week, are full of impressions, new experiences and acquaintances.
– I’ve seen that Split faces similar environmental issues as Venice. I enjoyed visiting Split and the surrounding areas where interesting lectures, cleanup actions and sightseeing were organized for us. – said Luca Paul Gradara, a student from Venice.
The various activities impressed the students from Split, even though they were in familiar surroundings. They gained new knowledge and skills, as well as motivation for further participation in environmental protection. – I hope to participate in similar projects in the future; I don’t want to miss opportunities like this. – said student Asia Bajranović.
Capacity building and networking of educational institutions
The experience of this study trip has enriched the professors from partner schools, who had the opportunity to expand their knowledge and gain insights into some of the skills for conveying ecological topics to students.
– It’s interesting to see that school activities can be so interactive and organized in such a diverse manner, encouraging students to creatively think about the problem while enriching them with new information and providing them with an opportunity to develop their social peer dimension, – said professor Elisabetta Lombardi from Venice. Teachers from Skalice Elementary School, whose students participated in the aforementioned pilot activities, also think so. They believe that students need more interactive activities and approaches that promote proactive problem-solving.
– We are thrilled by the splendor of Croatia and your hospitality. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and the visit of Split students to Venice in October, – added Lombardi.
Addressing shared cross-border challenges
The study trip was organized as a part of ML-FREE project, implemented by Sunce in collaboration with the aforementioned schools.
– The general goal is to contribute to reducing marine litter pollution and preserving the Adriatic. We plan to achieve this goal by increasing knowledge and skills, as well as encouraging active participation of youth in combating marine litter pollution, – said project manager Tea Kuzmičić Rosandić from Sunce.
This project, co-financed by the EU, aims to create Adriatic free from marine litter through active participation of youth, cross-border cooperation and enhancing environmental education.
– During study trip, we gained new knowledge about environment and raised awareness about environmental challenges that we all must face, – said student Marin Kragić, expressing an interest for similar new projects.
The youth hold the future. It is crucial to motivate their proactive engagement in addressing environmental challenges.
