Everything began on the shores of white sand and clear water that surround this little Mediterranean Island…

Two classes from this school in Baléone, France (11-12 year olds) began their NEMESIS project. The project, that will keep them busy all year, aims to transform their school and the local community.

As a way to encourage them to be conscious of their environment while discovering their surroundings with a different perspective, the students were sent to the beach with white overalls and big gloves to pick up rubbish.

On this sunny day, the students were feeling proud – proud to be of service to their community, and also proud to be wiser than the adults who had left their rubbish next to the bins without sorting it. Among bursts of laughter, the only competition between these students was who could pick up the most rubbish.

The students were also asked to do some research. They were asked to look for things that, if they had a magic wand, they’d like to change in and around their school.

So off they went, taking selfies along the way to show their friends afterwards, so that they could discuss their ideas after doing the research.

A collaborative effort with the whole school

Then, the eco-representatives from the older classes (14-15 year olds) came to collect the data and start a process of co-creation with OPERA.

The students worked in pairs, one boy and one girl where possible, and exchanged their ideas. They were to keep only three ideas: the best, the craziest and the most reasonable.

All of these ideas were then written on the whiteboard and each class voted on five of the best ideas. In total, ten ideas were kept, and these were posted in the school hallways in the form of referendum posters. Now, the whole school community must vote on their favourite ideas. The three elected ideas will be applied in the second phase of this NEMESIS project…

 

 

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If you would like to be the next school to join the team of NEMESIS schools please fill in our  contact form or email us at hello@nemesis-edu.eu

If you would like to read more about our projects click here.

Are you a social innovator who would like to collaborate with the schools in your area? Click here for more info on how to become a mentor.

 

Since September, the students of Lycée Professionel les Alpilles (Technical College) in France had been looking for a way to take part in their community as part of their social innovation project. This new NEMESIS school had also been thinking about who could benefit from their woodworking skills.

They eventually came up with an idea to build something that was suitable for their community: new cat kennels for the retirement home.

Existing cat kennels at the Crau Orpéa retirement home

Why this project?

It was meeting with the elderly residents of the Crau Orpéa retirement home that gave students the idea. The existing kennels were not in very good condition, so in order to meet the residents’ request and in some way alleviate their loneliness, the residents of the home and the students decided to work together on this project. The first visit, that happened on the 11th of January, allowed them to get to know one another and exchange ideas, and then agree on the idea for the project. All of this flourished in a space connecting two contrasting worlds: what a wonderful encounter!

   

The students get to work: taking measurements at the retirement home

 

The next step for this project: the residents of Crau Orpéa will visit the workshop in the school on the 11th of February to see how the students work with wood and give them design ideas.

We’ll find out more about this project soon…

 

 

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If you would like to be the next school to join the team of NEMESIS schools please fill in our  contact form or email us at hello@nemesis-edu.eu

If you would like to read more about our projects click here.

Are you a social innovator who would like to collaborate with the schools in your area? Click here for more info on how to become a mentor.