
Conference “The Power of Non-Formal Education for Environmental Topics”
ZAGREB, January 23, 2025 – The final conference of the “Eco Patrols for Environmental Goals” project entitled “The Power of Non-formal Education for Environmental Topics” was held at WESPA Spaces. More than 60 participants, including representatives of civil society organizations, public institutions for nature protection, schools and universities, gathered to discuss innovative approaches in informal education of young people on green topics.
The program began with a welcoming speech by Ivona Jadrić, Development Director of the Association for Nature and Environmental Protection and Promotion of Sustainable Development Argonauta. She highlighted the development path of using non-formal education methods in working with young people on environmental topics. Afterwards, Sandra Miladin, Head of the Erasmus+ Department in the Youth Area at AMPEU, expressed her satisfaction with the results of the project and the long-standing cooperation with the Argonauta Association.
The opening speech “Eco-literacy – more than knowledge” was given by Suzana Suman, project coordinator from the Argonauta association, introducing the audience to the topic of the panel “Non-formal education in action”. Experts from various fields shared their experiences on the panel:
Dražen Šimleša, environmental activist and educator from the Green Network of Activist Groups (ZMAG),
Marina Matijević, green influencer from the “I am a better citizen” initiative,
Željka Frković, principal, and Rajka Kosanović, teacher from the X. Gymnasium in Zagreb.
The planned guest, Iva Lehunšek Panić, was unable to participate due to illness. The discussion was moderated by Suzana Suman, who guided the panelists through an inspiring exchange of experiences.
Dražen Šimleša shared the story of the beginnings of ZMAG and their self-sustaining farm in Vukomerić, which serves as an educational center for permaculture. He spoke about the increasing presence of sustainable agriculture in public policies and stressed the importance of solidarity in crisis situations, such as the earthquakes in Zagreb and Banija.
Marina Matijević highlighted the challenges and opportunities of social networks in bringing environmental issues closer to a wider audience. She emphasized that the key is to simplify complex concepts, such as recycling, so that the message is understandable and motivates people to make small but significant changes in their daily habits.
Željka Frković and Rajka Kosanović shared examples of successful environmental projects in formal education, but also highlighted challenges, such as inadequate financial motivation for teachers who invest additional effort. They particularly emphasized the importance of practical work in youth education, which in the past was an integral part of subjects such as home economics.
The second part of the conference was dedicated to workshop activities from the “Manual for Non-formal Environmental Education of Youth – Eco Patrols”, created through the project. Participants received printed copies of the manual and participated in the modules:
Energy and Resources,
Climate Change and Other Human Impacts,
Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems.
In the “Eco Playroom”, participants tried out the mobile application “Eco-patrols in 24 time zones” and the board game of the same name. The application, enriched with an educational quiz, was designed to enable knowledge acquisition through play and inspire further activities.
The conference ended with an evaluation in the “Impresso Café” and a joint lunch, providing participants with an opportunity to network and exchange impressions. The atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm for the successfully implemented project and inspiration for further work.
The conference program was led by Lucija Dujić, head of the nature and environmental protection program at the Argonauta association. Representatives of international partner organizations participated in the implementation of the workshops; Kreator Kumanovo (Macedonia), Punta Campanella (Italy), All Together Association (Hungary) and Environmental Engineers (Serbia), project collaborators (Symbol d.o.o. from Osijek) and Argonauta employees and volunteers.
This conference demonstrated the power of non-formal education in raising awareness of environmental issues, delighting the participants with a rich and interactive program.
The project “Eco Patrols for Environmental Goals” left its mark and provided practical tools that educators will use and continue to inspire and educate young people in the future to love the Planet.
STATEMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS:
“Thank you for the invitation to participate in the Conference The Power of Non-Formal Education for Environmental Topics. The program was very interesting and useful and I would like to congratulate you on the successfully implemented project. I participated in the workshop Climate Change, which thrilled me and I would like to adapt the workshop for the forest ecosystem.” Andrea Kostelić, Prof. Geog., Head of the Department for Education and Promotion, Medvednica Nature Park Public Institution
“The conference was very useful because it was conceived as a series of practical workshops that presented us with innovative methods of transferring knowledge on environmental topics to young people. Whether it was climate change, energy efficiency or biodiversity loss, the goal was to show how to educate young people about these key issues and potential solutions in the most interesting and understandable way possible.” Tihana Veljačić, Ditch Plastic Croatia | THE GREEN HUB
“You know a panel at a conference is good when you don’t want it to end and you can’t wait for the Q&A to start.” Luka Petrekov, Hyla Association
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