New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
vrtic@bambi.edu.me

Basic information
Initiative title
I choose to compost

Full initiative Title
The importance of composting and recycling

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
Through this project, we strive to set an example which accentuates responsible behavior towards nature, the importance of care for the environment and preservation of natural resources and nurturing positive attitude towards nature and its preservation in an appropriate manner, following children's interests. With these projects, we raise awareness about the importance of composting and sustainability of life in an urban area among the youngest residents of our municipality and beyond.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
National

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Montenegro

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
South and central region of Montenegro

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Kindergarten Bambi Tivat
  Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local)
  First name of representative: Phd Jelena
  Last name of representative: Perunovic-Samardzic
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Montenegro
  Function: Director
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Djacka 3
  Town: Tivat
  Postal code: 85320
  Country: Montenegro
  Direct Tel: +38269094775
  E-mail: vrtic@bambi.edu.me
  Website: https://vrticbambi.me/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100037925715438
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Organic waste (residues from food preparation, garden and green waste) makes up about 65-70% of the total waste that is collected during stay in the kindergarten. Through this initiative, we want to raise awareness about the importance of composting and recycling among children. Not only do children from a very young age acquire knowledge about the importance of healthy, naturally grown food, but they also learn that it takes a lot of effort and daily activities to grow vegetables and other plants in order to make sure that by using those plants, we eat healthily.
At the preschool level, thanks to these initiatives, children become self-confident, aware, engaged in eco garden activities and they critically observe the world around them and see themselves as agents of change. In the same way, children will learn to use tools for vegetable gardening and gardening in general, they will develop perseverance which is necessary for the process of monitoring plant growth, which will guide them to the conclusion that water and sun encourage the growth and development of plants until they are fully grown, healthy fruits, crucial in our diet.
The activities in the Eco garden try to encourage a direct relationship of the child with the nature and they acquire knowledge that the soil is obtained by composting produces fruits which are beneficial for their healthy growth and development. With the activities regarding planting, we try to develop a positive attitude of children towards nature along with the sense of responsibility and care for the plants and the preservation of nature. This initiative will include 8 preschool groups in which there are 320 children aged 5-6, their teachers (16) and members of the kindergarten's Eco team (10 teachers and nurses, 6 people who work in kindergarten's kitchen).

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Raising awareness of composting

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Learning to separate bio waste disposal

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Sustainability of life in an urban area

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Importance of waste as a resource

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Taking care of the environment

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The initiative is very sustainable even after the planned completion because with accomplishing this project (creating the Eco garden and through education received, we get resources to be able to continue with further implementation of the project). Raising awareness of the importance of composting and sustainable living in an urban and semi rural environment along with enabling children to acquire and expand knowledge on taking care of the environment, developing habit of separate bio waste disposal and strengthening ecological awareness of the importance of waste as an important resource are our main goals. These goals will be met through activities such as lectures, artistic activities, various educational games and quizzes, performances, making small composters from different materials, planting vegetables and coastal herbs in our eco garden, daily collection of compost for all kindergarten groups, taking ripe compost and fertilizing seeds in the eco garden, maintenance of the garden, notes and photo stories.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The mere outdoor space of eco garden is envisioned to awaken the feelings of aesthetics and curiosity not only in children but also adults as it serves as a symbol of their work and their responsible behavior towards nature and care for the environment. The maintenance of the garden and outdoor activities along with artistic activities on the topic of environmental protection and exhibitions of children's works also contribute to the aesthetics and quality of experience for children and adults.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Our key objective is not only transformation of outdoor space but also the change of attitude towards environmental issues in our local community. Through workshops and lectures addressing this topic and sharing experiences we want to improve the quality of life and raise awareness about this very important topic. In terms of accessibility, we are always open to learning new things and sharing our own experiences and in regard to that we have great collaboration with local community and NGO department dealing with ecology and environmental protection, Green team from Municipality eco department, our eco team from the kindergarten, biology teachers.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
The results of the success and benefits of this initiative will not only be measured by progress of the plants in our eco garden, but also by the knowledge that children will pass on to their family members at home. We also plan to include parents and local community, with whom we have always had wonderful collaboration, in our eco garden project, so that we can share knowledge and experience. Our plan is also to organize lectures on the importance of reconnection with nature and its preservation which will be held by biology teachers and lecturers from the domain of organic production and kindergarten teachers.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
We have the support of various stakeholders mainly on local and national level, which include: CEDIS (Montenegrin electricity distribution system), Lustica Bay, Porto Montegro, NGO eco sector and the Municipality of Tivat.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The disciplines that are reflected through this initiative are inclined to develop research and innovative skills and they include knowledge fields from the domain of organic production, biology, ecology and environmental protection, along with artistic disciplines and pragmatic disciplines that our kindergarten teachers and other employees of the kindergarten are enthusiastic to share with both children and their parents.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
This initiative is innovative in a sense that no similar initiative has ever been made in our small town. It is beneficial for children and the community because apart from raising awareness on the environmental preservation, it also raises the level of social cohesion, which is much needed nowadays, so that we can understand that we cannot always wait for someone to do something for us and that we have to do certain things ourselves if we want to live in a healthy, pleasant environment.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The initiative itself from start to finish will be presented at the professional meetings of educators in Vrnjacka Banja in 2023. and at the Balkan meetings of educators in 2023. as an example of good practice. We also plan to present various educational games, quizzes, performances, artistic workshops on the subject of composting to elementary school pupils and children in Daily center for children with disabilities.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
Our methodology and approach are aimed at strengthening the child's research, curiosity and independence skills through our pragmatic activities (planting vegetables and their maintenance, daily collection of compost for all kindergarten groups, taking ripe compost and fertilizing seeds in the eco garden, garden exploration and using garden tools). Our methodology also includes demonstration, presentation, creative, artistic workshops, educational performances, games, quizzes, lectures, conversation about environment protection and bio waste disposal, taking photos and notes.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
In our opinion, raising awareness on the importance of environment protection and composting from a very young age plays a crucial role in forming children's attitude towards nature and our aim is that our eco garden serves as an example of a good practice for other preschool institutions on both local and global level.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
We have been working intensively on this idea for the last year and a half and we also received a Prize from CEDIS (Montenegrin national electricity distribution system) for the implementation of this initiative, on the national level and we hope that our idea and efforts will be acknowledged on a global level since it is beneficial for children, communities and educators as well. Our action plan includes lectures and activities which introduce and expand the concept of composting and environment protection, various artistic activities and exhibition of children's works on the topic given, educational games and eco quizzes, viewing and taking photos, making and maintenance of eco garden, making small composters from different materials, planting, using different tools in gardening.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Web link
Web link
- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100037925715438
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
Our initiative contributes to developing skills of sustainability of life in an urban and semi-rural area in terms of providing an example of eco garden which serves as a symbol of Nature's generosity towards us. It also plays an important role in enhancing curiosity and critical and exploratory thinking at a very young age. The initiative itself encourages collective actions which include not only children children and their teachers, but also local community. On the other hand, it has a positive effect on teachers' professional development since the synergy between theoretical and practical knowledge and sharing opinions and experiences on sustainable learning environment is a highlight of our initiative framework.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes