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Sille Lapp, VET teacher 

Kuressaare Ametikool 

Estonia 

SDG 4 – Quality education. SDG 11 – Responsible consumption and production

I have conducted workshops and class activities with learners and teachers, where we have created items ourselves from simple, easy-to-access materials.

The goal is to offer the joy of self-making alongside developing manual skills and practically experiencing what production waste and leftovers mean and what can be done with them. Also, to broaden the mindset that materials can have a new life when approached creatively.

I will share experiences from two workshops.

Wearing reflectors during dark hours is mandatory in Estonia. Companies producing reflectors have leftover pieces of reflective material, which I have asked for and always received.

We made unique reflectors from the production leftovers of reflectors with various groups of students and guests.

There was great interest and satisfaction in making something by oneself!

In the school kitchen, there are leftover tin cans that are usually thrown away. Together with learners studying property maintenance, we made small trash cans from these cans and leftover wallpaper.

We discovered that measuring can be surprisingly challenging work. Learners were able to develop creativity and left the class in a good mood.