The children of Thessaloniki participated in two workshops organized by Kedith, the agency for the city of Thessaloniki involved in the implementation of RU:RBAN in the Greek city, on the 26th of April and on the 12th May. Both workshops were coordinated by Mrs Argiro Skitsa, teacher and training expert.
The first workshop, entitled “Creating my own Urban Garden”, took place online due to the covid-19 limitations, but this did not stop the 17 pupils aged between 8-12 to participate in the activities focused on the necessary capacities, equipment and tips to grow food on the balcony, yard or park. Tasks throughout the day were divided in three parts: first, the children shared their ideas on the reasons to participate in an urban garden - “It’s exciting to grow and take care of your own food!”, “It’s great to have access in fresh fruits and vegetables”, “We understand how a plant grow and how seasons are changing”, “We conserve rare varieties collecting seeds!”, some of their comments that show their enthusiasm on the topic. Then they were taken on a virtual live tour in the Kipos3 Urban Garden in the city, while they had the chance to discuss about the aesthetics of productive landscapes as well as the atmosphere of an alive community built through common gardening. Finally, they worked together to draw a list of the seasonal works in an urban garden, the change of cultivations, the basic tools that are needed for each phase and special gardening tips and secrets for each of their favorite vegetables and herbs!
The second workshop, also held online by Kedith and by the means of the zoom platform, was entitled “My city is green” and saw the involvement of 14 children aged between 8-12 and their parents. Games and creative activities helped the children to record ideas and suggestions to make their neighbourhood greener. The aim of the workshop was to raise the environmental awareness of children and their families on issues such as green development in urban environments and to improve the quality of life of the residents. The workshop took the shape of a comprehensive Educational Drama project where the children expressed themselves creatively and delved into the subject through specific techniques such as role building, role play, thought detection, frozen image, painting and reflection. The children responded with great interest and quickly became familiar with digital tools, they worked in teams sharing their ideas and actively participating in games…..and parents participated too!
