Urban vegetable gardens and composting as tools for primary schools students understanding of the EU Green Deal

Abstract

The Green Deal is a European Commission response to promote zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 in the European Union. Its multiple strategies, including circular economy and agriculture, should impact all citizens. To improve the literacy of primary school students in environmental and sustainability concepts, namely those included in the Green Deal strategies, the pilot project "Nutrients Boomerang" was implemented as part of the Environmental Education strategy of a Portuguese science centre, Fábrica Ciência Viva. The project included the implementation of an outdoor model area, focusing on composting and urban vegetable gardening, complemented with workshops on biodiversity, circular economy, and organic farming, targeting primary school students. This pilot project was implemented from January to September 2021 and in its final months was also organized in a way to include the students’ families, given their willingness to introduce parents and grandparents to the activities they had been doing. This pilot project showed its suitability to be replicated in primary school outdoor green areas and so promote hands on activities aiming to foster in young students a conscientious behaviour towards a more sustainable world.