Caxton College and the UPV Work Together for Education in Sustainable Development

A student in the Master’s in Architecture programme wins first place in the ideas competition for the design of an environmental classroom at the school in Puçol

The Garden of Three Elements, by the Ukrainian student Olena Tyshkevych was the chosen project for the design of a 150 m2 ecosystem where Primary pupils at Caxton College will carry out environmental education activities in the outdoors.

This new landscaping project, which was awarded the prize of 500 euros by a jury principally made up of professors at the Architecture Faculty of Valencia’s Polytechnic University, is in keeping with this British school’s commitment to educate their pupils in sustainable development. This is an important part of the school’s curriculum, which places a strong emphasis on personal values with the aim of encouraging pupils to develop an empathetic and responsible attitude towards the world.

With this initiative, the school expands its outdoor learning facilities, in which outdoor play areas become an extension of the classroom. Therefore The Garden of Three Elements will promote the pupils’ awareness of ecological agriculture, renewable energy and the water cycle. Additionally, with this kind of education in sustainability, pupils will continue to develop skills from a young age, such as an interest in teamwork and curiosity for knowledge. These attitudes will be most useful to them in their future careers.

The inspiration for this original environmental classroom is in the three basic elements of nature that are necessary for agriculture: sun, water and earth. Among the different areas that will give life to this small agricultural theme park and that teachers will work on with their pupils, allowing the children to forge a stronger bond with the earth, are: how renewable energy sources work, responsible use of water, the agricultural cycle and the growth of plants. The pupils become the owners of their own learning process in the most practical way.

The criteria for evaluation that caused Olena Tyshkevych’s project to be chosen were its landscaping and architectural quality, as well as the sustainability of its construction and the originality of its solutions.

‘The school must remain close to forums for innovation, research and talent. No one can question that the university is a source for ideas and that we need to be connected in order to continue to provide the best methods and educational resources for our pupils. In this regard, having the intelligence of Olena at our disposal for this sustainable classroom is more than a gift’, concludes Marta Gil, Vice Principal at Caxton College.