On April 12, 2025, the sixth and final module of the educational project VolonTERRA – Active Schools Drive Change! was held at Brda primary school. The focus of this workshop was on the sustainability of school volunteer clubs. The workshop was led by Sunce staff members: Margita Radman and Miranda Štimac from the Education and Information department, and Karla Penić from the Communication and Advocacy Department.
Outdoor classes – space for growth and learning
The workshop began with a presentation by Miranda Štimac on the benefits of outdoor learning and how to organize it. This approach supports children’s development in teamwork, self-confidence, and setting personal boundaries. It also encourages learning through play and spending time in the fresh air. Various activities were presented that require no extra resources but offer valuable experiences for children.
-The most important thing is to prepare children by explaining that this is a class, not just playtime. Parents should also be informed about the planned activities so that the children are adequately prepared. We hold literature, math, and science classes on the playground, in the school garden, or on Marjan Hill – and it all works wonderfully!-one teacher shared from her own experience.
Learning by doing and the importance of communication
Margita Radman presented successful examples from Sunce’s educational programs, such as Green Reporters, Composting, and Responsible waste management. Participants were then given a practical task to simulate a schoolyard cleanup activity. Divided into groups – reporters, waste collectors (by type of waste), and photographers – they analyzed the collected waste, counted it, and categorized it.
This exercise demonstrated how teachers, with good organization and minimal costs, can design educational activities that foster environmental awareness and responsible behavior among students.
In the next part of the workshop, Miranda Štimac introduced potential funding sources for school projects. Together with the teachers, she reviewed several application forms, highlighting key elements and common mistakes to help ease future project applications aimed at improving schools, yards, or gardens.
Karla Penić then spoke about the importance of visibility for volunteer clubs and communication campaigns. She presented the Together without plastic campaign as a good example and showed participants how to use social media to reach a broader audience, convey key messages, and inspire community change. She also provided guidance on creating reels, writing online articles, and designing social media posts – with a special focus on defining the target audience and messages.
The teachers continued with a practical task, divided into two groups – one created a reel, and the other wrote an article. Their final presentations demonstrated how quickly they had adopted new knowledge and successfully applied it.
School Swap fair
To conclude the workshop, Margita and Miranda presented another example of good practice – the Swap Fair, a long-standing activity regularly conducted by Sunce. The fair promotes responsible consumption, reuse of items, and waste reduction. Besides its ecological benefits, such events also foster community spirit, solidarity, and exchange.
They outlined how to organize a swap event: from collecting items and promoting the event to managing the exchange process itself. It was emphasized how important it is to inform participants in advance and set clear rules for a smooth exchange.
At the end of the workshop, participants took part in a real Green Swap Fair – exchanging flower seeds, seedlings, watering cans, and educational games. This gave them firsthand experience of the event. Many expressed enthusiasm and plan to organize a Swap Fair in their own schools.
VolonTERRA – leaving a positive mark in school communities
With the completion of this final module, the VolonTERRA project journey came full circle. Through six educational workshops, all participants—representatives of educational institutions from the Split-Dalmatia county—were empowered with knowledge, skills, and tools to promote sustainable values among students.
Programs like these show that positive changes in schools can be implemented in creative, sustainable, and student-friendly ways. If you want to take part in such initiatives, become a member or volunteer at Sunce! More activities await us before the official end of the project, including volunteer actions to set up an outdoor classroom at Brda Primary school and the official opening for Outdoor classroom day in November 2025.
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