Eco-solutions: Ukrainian schools participate in competition promoting responsible consumption of natural resources

The "Implementing Sustainable Development Goals among Schoolchildren" competition has been announced in Ukraine, and teachers and student groups are invited to participate in the event.

The Epson company in Ukraine reported this.

What is the problem?

Today, we live in a society characterized by intensive use of natural resources and increased anthropogenic pressure on nature.

Recently, for the first time, the temperature of the Earth crossed the critical limit and rose by more than 2°C during the pre-industrial period. According to scientists, such a temperature index can have irreversible consequences for the planet and its ecosystems.

It is no longer news that some resources, such as mineral resources, are at the stage of exhaustion, and other natural resources (surface water, soil) have changed their ecological properties so much that their direct use sometimes becomes impossible.

We note that only 7% of Ukraine's territory is protected as natural territories, and if we take the requirements of the EU, then this share should be up to 30% at least. Currently, the state of freshwater reservoirs and the uncontrolled spread of arable land are also a big problem, resulting in more than 80% of natural territories being lost.

What is the solution?

Overcoming the negative consequences of the impact of society's activities on nature led to a new worldview, defined in the relevant UN document as the path of sustainable development.

The company notes that reducing society's negative impact on nature requires everyone's responsibility and joint efforts.

Therefore, the competition, organized by the Epson company, is designed to combine the professionalism of educators and the talent of students in the search for ideas that will help make an essential contribution to solving the current problems of today:

• responsible consumption of electricity,
• reducing the carbon footprint in Ukraine.

At the same time, it is also an opportunity for schools to get advanced technical equipment.

How does it work?

The working group (teacher and 2-15 students) create a report/presentation of their ideas in a video recording up to 10 minutes long.

Project implementation periods:

• by January 15, 2024, filling out an information notice about the intention to participate in the competition by the teacher;
• acceptance of competitive works until February 28, 2024;
• on March 25, competition winners will be announced and awarded.

The winners, who will take the first three places, will receive a set of modern Epson technical equipment for school classes:

• multifunctional printing device, Epson EcoTank from the Print Factory series,
• projector,
• document camera.

Detailed conditions of the competition and registration on the Organizer's website via the link.

^{Photo: Epson}

What is the purpose of this project:

• Achieving the goals of sustainable development: participation in the competition will help bring the goals of sustainable development to life, and the personal contribution of each student can improve the future of our planet;
• Preservation of the environment: teachers will encourage students to reduce the impact on the environment and rationally use natural resources in Ukraine in the future;
• Rational use of resources: the competition task can increase the interest of a class/school in the topic and even inspire students to find innovative solutions to conserve the energy and resources of our planet.

Who is interested?

Teachers: Experience, professional knowledge, and guidance during the performance of the competitive task will be examples for students.

Students: The challenge for students is not only the education of a conscious attitude to the planet's resources and a chance to deepen knowledge but also an incentive to find the latest solutions in this field.

For reference:

Ukraine supported the global call for glaciers and poles and joined an important international initiative to preserve the cryosphere.

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