Eco-classroom build brings community together
The second eco-classroom in the series has seen more than 100 volunteers including teachers, students, parents, former pupils, and DS Smith employees come together to support its construction, in Nagykata, Hungary.
Partially funded by the DS Smith Charitable Foundation, the eco-classroom provides the school an effective, outdoor platform to stimulate hands-on learning on topics such as environmental protection and the circular economy for 6 - 13 year olds. The classroom, built in the school yard of the Váci Mihály Catholic Primary School in Nagykáta, Hungary, followed on from the success of the first eco-classroom we funded in Budapest in 2020. An initiative which demonstrated just how important it is for children to get close to nature to effectively absorb the essence of environmentally conscious thinking.
Inspired by the rustic beauty of Spain and the Azores, the classroom which is made from sustainable wooden pallets and pillars was built in collaboration with the Department of Residential Building Design at Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
We must strive to evolve educational frameworks and forms that meet the needs of our children, as we must give them all the help we can to develop a sustainable life in harmony with nature.
The eco-classrooms in Hungary are an example of how we are delivering our Now and Next Sustainability Strategy: not only are they a tangible illustration of DS Smith’s Community Programme in practice, they also help support our ambition to engage 5 million people on the circular economy by 2030 and extend circular economy education into our communities with the help of our people, resources and the DS Smith Charitable Foundation.