SCHOOL COMPETITION ON INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR MORE SUSTAINABILITY

How many resources are saved when children ride their bikes to school in the morning?

Why are ‘hand me down’ clothes from older siblings more trendy than new?

Who has the best ideas for a more sustainable future?

Education plays an important role in changing lifestyle patterns. Teenagers are at a crucial age as they start to build their own ways of consuming. They observe the daily habits of people in their environment and adapt what they find interesting and reasonable. It is often not about someone teaching the children what to do and what not to do. They rather enjoy to find answers on their own. It is important to engage young students in a playful and fun manner to effectively communicate the concept of sustainability, sustainable lifestyles and the impact of daily choices. This will empower students and young adults to create future oriented and sustainable lifestyles.

 

TeamS - Idea Competition for schools

In this light the CSCP has started a new school project on the topic of sustainable lifestyles. TeamS (in German Ideenwettbewerb für zukunftsfähige Lebensstile) is a competition for ideas among school groups aged of 13 to 20. Within one lesson during the first month of every school semester students learn about the environmental impacts of daily choices for living, eating and shopping. In the subsequent competition students are asked to build teams together with their classmates and best friends. And these teams shall be as creative and inventive as possible in demonstrating that they have understood the sustainability concept by inventing new ideas to change and improve their individual lifestyles. One team might decide to eat a vegetarian diet for one month. Another team might conceptualize a sustainable shopping guide for their hometown. The more innovation the students can bring to the challenge the greater their chance to win the ‘TeamS Award’ at the end of the semester.

 

TeamS-Community: Education for sustainable development

In August, 2010, the German UNESCO-commission for exemplary education formally recognized the TeamS project for its contribution to international sustainable development, sustainable thinking and action. The commission made the initiative an official project of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development in Germany.

Test run of the competition in 2009

The concept of TeamS and the material for the school lessons was developed in 2009. In autumn of that year a test run was conducted in Germany and Finland. Ten teams participated and invented creative ideas for more sustainable living. The feedback from both teachers and school children was very positive, which lead to the idea of conducting TeamS competitions over several years. In 2010 TeamS targets schools in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany with an open invitation to schools in other areas of Germany to participate. 

 

Background

The TeamS 2010 competition is coordinated by the CSCP with funding support from the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Collaborating partners within the project are the Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and Econ.

 

For more information please visit the TeamS Award website (www.teams-award.org) or contact: