With two day workshop “Participative learning methods” that was held in Split on 9 and 10 of July Sunce has launched a new “Take Part in Sustainable Development” Project.

This two year Project is led by Sunce in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Umwelterziehung (DGU), and financed by German foundation Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU). 

Project planned activities are aimed at educating elementary and high school teachers and students, with the goal of achieving their active participation in society, inducing environmentally more responsible behavior and ultimately contributing to sustainable development.

The first project planned activity was aimed at elementary and high school teachers as well as those at universities. The workshop was led by Steffi Proepsting and Robert Lorenz from the German DGU. 20 participants from primary schools “Mejaši”, “Pujanki”, “Trilj”, “Science Technical School in Split”, Private Secondary School “Wellner”, “Faculty of Philosophy” in Split, “Education and Teachers Training Agency” and also volunteers of Sunce took part in the workshop.

The first day of the workshop was dedicated to the theme of participation in schools, as well as the objectives and requirements for the same. Thematics of sustainable city that are related to the living environment of students and ideas on the implementation of student participation were also covered. 

The second day of the workshop flew by in discussions about the opportunities and obstacles in Croatian schools when it comes to starting projects with the themes connected to “sustainable city”. In addition, we heard, and some for the first time, examples for service learning programs. A move from the classical frontal ways of obtaining knowledge, with the active involvement of all present participants and discussion on issues that are currently relevant for us, provided us with a large number of practical methods which were gladly performed by all participants. Some of the known methods used were:  Interviewing partners, Brainwriting, Untie the knot, Work in small groups, Group interview, We-Workshop, World Café, an Ideal image / Path to the future and Flashlight.

Evaluation at the end of the workshop showed that participants were all very satisfied with the new ideas that they will surely apply them in their work places.