Change is in the air. Although we’ve known about it for a while, plastic pollution is still one of the world’s biggest environmental issues. However, awareness is increasing day by day, with more and more citizens, NGOs and businesses demanding an end to plastic pollution.
The time for action is now. Every year, Save the Med challenges students in the Balearic Islands to join the movement through the Changemakers Project, with the collaboration of Fundación Jesus Serra, a foundation that funds social and environmental initiatives.
Over the years, more than 800 young students have participated, presenting creative solutions to help stop the overflow of plastic in our lives. With the school year in full swing, Save the Med just launched this year’s 7th Edition. To participate, students of the Balearic Islands aged 14 to 18 can simply sign-up online. The challenge is the following: form a team with your classmates and send a video to Save the Med by March 2024, explaining your ideas to reduce the use of single-use plastic. Motivation, teamwork, and innovation will be rewarded!
Selected teams will be invited to join a series of amazing marine science workshops organized by Save the Med and underwater professionals, with the objective of introducing students to the rich biodiversity of the Balearic Sea. Activities include kayaking and exploring marine reserves, nature hikes and underwater photography workshops, where students can learn to use underwater cameras and take photos of marine life. Other rewards include days out on a boat with the Save the Med team, learning expedition techniques and participating in citizen-science. The workshops will be based along the stunning Tramuntana coastline, in the Areas Under Regeneration of Dragonera and Formentor – an amazing opportunity to get to know Mallorca’s incredible nature and what is being done to protect it.
But there are more surprises in store this year. Save the Med has joined forces with Universitat de les Illes Balears and created a pilot version of the project aimed at university students. It is an open call to all students, from bachelor’s degrees to doctorate studies, to develop real life solutions that reduce the overconsumption and overproduction of single-use products.
As part of the university’s sustainability strategy, the project is called ‘Game Changers’ – a play on words on the original name – as it proposes a more impactful and far-reaching approach to the issue. Rather than treating the symptoms of plastic pollution – it challenges students to get to the source, build a new economic and/or social framework, push boundaries, innovate and put an end to the throwaway culture that predominates our current economic model. Save the Med encourage students to form multi-disciplinary teams, using various sources of knowledge for their ideas.
The call is open for a wide range of subjects, such as economics, social sciences, and engineering. For example, students can create innovative products or services with lower environmental impact, promoting a circular economy. It welcomes zero-waste social enterprises and educational campaigns to address misinformation and greenwashing. The project also invites students of law or political sciences to positively influence politics and regulations that help promote a safer, waste-free society. The sky is the limit.
Top selected teams will be given a cash prize and technical support from the university to make their ideas a reality. Furthermore, the top two projects will be invited aboard a professional marine science expedition with Save the Med.
All the information, contact details and participation guidelines can be found on the project webpage: www.changemakersatsea.org
