From November 2022 to May 2023, the fourth-grade students at "A. Busti" primary school engaged in a Service Learning project titled "Reclaiming Beauty."
This initiative aimed to involve students in activities that foster their participation and leadership in enhancing the "common good."
The area surrounding the school often suffers from neglect, which the children observe daily. The classroom discussions on social rules, environmental respect, and the impact of human actions led to the idea of taking concrete steps to improve their environment and reclaim communal spaces.
The project began with a neighborhood exploration, where students documented issues through photography. In the subsequent phase, they delved into the 2030 Agenda, brainstorming possible solutions through group work.
The identified service activities included several strategies: organizing a neighborhood cleanup with the involvement of representatives from the Fifth District; devising an email to the School Principal expressing concerns about community care and urging instant institutional action; and creating multilingual signs (in Arabic, Indian, English, Albanian and Sinhala, reflecting the languages spoken by the students and their families) to raise awareness among the school community and families.
A meeting with the Principal and a District representative provided a meaningful opportunity for students to showcase their work and have a genuine dialogue with adults.
"This experience enhanced the students' civic education and fostered collaboration among them," highlighted the teacher who coordinated the project.
"The project raised the children’s awareness regarding the need to respect the common good: many reminded each other of the rules for environmental respect. Some even shared family stories in which they reminded relatives about not littering and the importance of recycling.
The workshop activities helped some students integrate better into the group, allowing them to contribute in a positive atmosphere."
"Education for common values requires ongoing effort," the teacher concluded. "This experience was just a first step of awareness, which must also be nurtured in the adult community.
