Environmental awareness and inclusion: Reutlingen workshop inspires students!

Environmental awareness and inclusion: Reutlingen workshop inspires students!

In an inspiring initiative, two master's students from Reutlingen have developed a concept that combines environmental education and inclusion. On May 28, 2025, an inclusive workshop took place at the Sindelfingen Bird Center, in which nine seventh graders from the Martinsschule took part. The focus here was on building nesting boxes, an activity that not only promoted manual skills but also deepened the understanding of biodiversity and nature conservation. The Martinsschule is a special education and counseling center with a focus on learning, which underlines the inclusive orientation of the project. This collaboration between the Education Center and the N.E.S. Bird Center shows how education can bring about positive change. For further information about this workshop, szbz.de reports.

The importance of environmental education and its connection to inclusion is also made clear in a report by the Federal Environment Agency. Accordingly, young people should be actively involved in education for sustainability in order to transform society towards a more sustainable future. It is particularly emphasized that children and young people must be included in the conception and methodology of environmental education offerings. This is crucial for the effectiveness of projects in informal and extracurricular educational situations. The final report deals with essential questions, such as the requirements for environmental education offerings tailored to target groups, and highlights ways to achieve the intended effectiveness (umweltbundesamt.de).

Integration of inclusion and sustainability

A similar challenge arises in early childhood education: integrating sustainability and inclusion into everyday daycare without creating additional burdens. Best practices, such as resource-saving and creative approaches, are essential for implementing these concepts. Institutions should make optimal use of existing resources and build a reliable network to promote partnerships. This can be done through community activities in the district, such as clean-up campaigns and swap meets. An inclusive design of events should always be guaranteed in order to enable active participation of all children (bfnb.de).

The experiences from the workshop in Sindelfingen complement these concepts by showing how important collaborative learning is. Children learn that every contribution counts in order to tackle bigger challenges together. Through playful learning about resource sharing and conservation, careful use of existing resources is promoted. The aim is to establish an inclusive and sustainable attitude as an integral part of children's everyday lives and to accompany them on their long-term journey through life.