The project
In AB We firmly believe that protecting the environment begins with educating young people. This is why we are thrilled to collaborate on the "Open-Air Classroom" project, an initiative launched in collaboration with the UNA Foundation (Paladini del Territorio) and the teachers Stefania Baldini and Francesca Rossetti. The goal is ambitious but crucial: to foster greater awareness and respect for environmental and food values in the younger generations.
The classes involved
On March 3rd, we held our first theoretical and practical session with students from classes 5C and 5D at the FD Guerrazzi school in Cecina. Under the guidance of our expert agronomist Lucia Paoletti from the horticultural company L'Ortofruttifero, the students discovered the secrets of aromatic plants and propagation techniques. It wasn't just theory: each student put themselves to the test by creating cuttings and planting them in trays, which they then took home to continue caring for. As the AB association, we were proud to provide all the materials needed for this activity, and we saw the excitement of discovery on the children's faces.
The pillars of the initiative
The garden isn't a true interdisciplinary educational tool. Here are the pillars that make this project unique:
Scientific Method: Sowing seeds and observation allow students to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and design concrete experiments.
Sustainability and Biodiversity: We teach water conservation, recycling, and protecting soil fertility by limiting the use of chemicals.
Inclusion and Relationship: The garden is a tool for cohesion that enhances collaboration, mutual aid, and a spirit of cooperation.
Culture and Language: A fascinating aspect of the project is learning the names of vegetables in Italian, English, and the native languages of the foreign children present, celebrating diversity in all its forms.
Activities, which began in October, will follow the natural cycle of the seasons until June. But the most anticipated moment is just around the corner: between the end of March and the beginning of April, we'll be back at school to create the permanent educational garden!
Together with our partners Simone Manzi and Maria Pia Luciani of the UNA Foundation, we will continue to support this journey that transforms schools into places where learning is done, combining biodiversity and responsibility (source: AB – Agrivenatoria Biodiversitalia).
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