EdUTOPIA 21 – creating a sustainable future
is a project conceived as an initiative for better understanding and use of sustainable development in the daily lives of young people and local community. The project provides the knowledge, skills and values needed by citizens to improve the quality of life and contributes to the development of conscious, active and responsible citizenship. It places schools at the heart of the community as drivers of and spaces for the practical application of sustainable development in communities and in an innovative and practical way develops knowledge and competencies of children and youth on sustainable development, as well as knowledge and competencies of adults to promote sustainable development. At the same time, it encourages a participatory approach - networking, cooperation and engagement of the local community, children and youth, teachers and parents, schools and civil society organizations - with the aim of designing, launching and implementing collaborative initiatives and projects that contribute to improving the quality of life of local communities and the achievement of sustainable development goals.
EdUTOPIA 21 conducts educational modules for adults and a series of educational lectures, practical problem-solving workshops in local communities and volunteer actions intended for primary school students. It teaches children and young people about sustainable development and empowers them to become active citizens who will know how to respond to the challenges of the 21st century, with a sense of solidarity and responsibility towards their local community, the planet's ecosystems and future generations.
This model of education for sustainable development is a synergy of ZMAG members' many years of experience as main project partners and the best European practices used in cooperation projects of civil society organizations, schools and local governments.
EdUTOPIA 21 is an example of the practical implementation of the curriculum for interdisciplinary topic of sustainable development for primary schools. It also develops innovative methods of working with children and youth that schools and educational institutions will be able to use in further education for sustainable development and lays the foundation for launching similar initiatives in local communities in the future.
The project includes 11 primary schools, 640 students, 32 teachers and more than 20 other participants from the local community. During the two-year project, 7 educational modules for teachers, local government, parents and other citizens will be implemented, as well as 30 workshops and 28 lectures on the interdisciplinary theme of sustainable development, 13 volunteer actions and 7 problem solving workshops in local communities, a film and a play will be made, and a roundtable and an exhibition will be organized.
The project is implemented in cooperation with the City of Velika Gorica and seven schools in the area of Velika Gorica: Eugen Kumičić Primary School, Novo Čiče Primary School, Eugen Kvaternik Primary School, Eugen Kvaternik Primary School - Lukavec, Eugen Kvaternik Primary School - Dubranec, Vukovina Primary School - Rakitovec and Vukovina Primary School. The project is funded through the Swiss-Croatian Cooperation Program, implemented by the Office for Cooperation with NGOs of the Government of the Republic of Croatia through the Call "Strengthening the Contribution of Civil Society Organizations in Sustainable Development Education for the Improvement of Economic and Social Cohesion".
