Project realised from January 2022 till April 2024. It aimed to deepen the knowledge of primary school students and teachers about the role of blue-green infrastructure in adapting to climate change. In partnership with the Warsaw – Wawer District Office and PS Paaby Prosess – Edu_Action from Norway, we created an education centre for the people in the city.
Aim of the project
Wawer is the largest district of Warsaw in terms of area. It is often affected by severe flooding resulting from sudden rains. The project involves comprehensive rainwater management using blue and green infrastructure around primary school no. 195. As a result to solve the problem of immediate floods in the areas adjacent to the school. In addition, the project partners used the model development of the school area to conduct educational and information activities on the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas’ adaptation to climate change. Promoting solutions that are easy to duplicate will allow the dissemination of their use in other educational institutions and by Warsaw inhabitants.
What happened within the project?
We created a demonstration system of NBS along with an educational path on mitigation and adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change. All work was participatory, with the engagement of the entire school community. Teachers interested in the subject, from Warsaw schools and the whole country, were able to take advantage of the free training program, lesson scenarios and publications. Below we present the most important elements of the project:
Workshops for teachers and students of school no. 195 (Spring 2022)
The first activity under the project was the implementation of workshops for teachers working in primary school No. 195. During the meetings, teachers learned about good practices of educational activities from Poland and Norway, enabling them to create lesson scenarios on adaptation and mitigation of climate change. Then, based on the prepared lesson plans, they conducted thematic activities in 22 classes, introducing the school community to the subject of the project.
Consultation with the school community (Spring 2022)
Students and teachers participated in co-design workshops, working with architects on the NBS for school premises, such as a rain garden connected to a bench and a pocket park.
The concepts developed during the workshops were subject to consultation with the school community, making it possible to collect feedback on the projects and consider the expectations of the users of the area.
Climate-friendly school – design and implementation of NBS (Autumn 2023)
We used the results of the workshops and the consultation process to prepare detailed designs for all NBS and small architecture. NBS was constructed in cooperation with the Wawer District Office and the school community. In total, we implemented 45 different NBS at the school premises: rain gardens, rainwater tanks, flower meadows, green walls and roofs, unsealing and pocket parks. We completed all facilities with students and teachers in October 2023. Students were able to familiarize themselves with various stages of NBS construction. In addition, they learned how to maintain them in the future.
You can visit the virtual educational path showcasing all the solutions here.
Lesson scenarios and educational publication (Spring 2024)
Based on the experience gained in the project, we developed the following:
- lesson scenarios on the use of NBS to adapt and mitigate climate change, along with task cards for younger and older children;
- a guide on implementing NBS at schools and using them in educational activities that is available online (Polish only) and was delivered to primary schools in Warsaw and all over Poland.
Trail, picnic and information activities (Autumn 2023)
The educational path presents demonstratory solutions created at the school. Therefore, all its users are able to find out how individual facilities function and what they are for and get detailed instructions on implementing similar solutions on their own. Furthermore, during an educational picnic in October 2023, we promoted the solutions presented on the path among the Wawer inhabitants.
The school grounds became a place for further education in adapting to and mitigating climate change for students of other Warsaw schools.
Teacher training program (February-March 2024)
A two-stage training program on teaching about the role of NBS in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change was addressed to teachers and school managers from all over Poland. It consisted of a monthly e-learning course and stationary workshops.
Project team
Judyta Łuczyńska – project coordinator (judyta.luczynska@sendzimir.org.pl)
Barbara Surmacz-Dobrowolska – financial project coordinator (barbara.surmacz.dobrowolska@sendzimir.org.pl)
The project “Climate-friendly school. Model Center for Urban Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Education” benefits from a € 271,660 grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA funding under the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Program; program area: Climate. The aim of the project is to deepen the knowledge of students and teachers about the effects of climate change and methods of adapting to them.
It will run from January 1, 2022, to April, 2024.
We work together for a green Europe.
