Laboratory of Special Vocational Education of Agios Dimitrios

Everyone can contribute to a sustainable future

Laboratory of Special Vocational Education of Agios Dimitrios, a public secondary school in Athens, Greece, has proved that every member of society can contribute towards positive environmental change.

The Laboratory of Special Vocational Education of Agios Dimitrios caters to 240 students with mental disorders and special educational needs. The school’s ethos is driven by the idea that small, local, fair, and inclusive communities can play a major role in pushing Europe and the whole planet towards a sustainable future.

The school participated in the European Waste Reduction Week 2021 where students visited neighbouring schools, gave out educational posters and gave a presentation consisting of experiential actions to other students of all levels about their work on sustainability. They showed materials from old household utensils could be processed into useful objects such as frames and lamps.

In addition, special bins were placed in the collaborating schools where students would collect old household utensils and tools. The material would later be transported to Laboratory of Special Vocational Education of Agios Dimitrios where it would be turned into decorative objects.

If Laboratory of Special Vocational Education of Agios Dimitrios were to win the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action, it would use the funds to launch a website that provides free resources for teachers about reusing. It would also use the money to cover travel expenses for school trips and build a ‘Centre for the Collection and Creative Reuse’, which will contribute to the reduction of urban waste.