Project Too RecyCOOL for School connects topics of the fashion industry and sustainability with distance learning forms of non-formal education as a response to demands of today's world. Our clothing is everyday part of our lives, yet transparency of its production is on a worldwide scale almost non-existable, who made our clothes and what they are made of are questions with answers difficult to find. Talking about the fashion industry is important because it's an industry with heavy impacts on environmental and social areas. It's unthinkable that it could sustain in the form as we know it today, and its flaws were completely exposed with the arrival of a pandemic and social crisis of workers in this industry. Young people are the main target group of fast fashion campaigns, both selling campaigns and greenwashing campaigns. These are aimed on young people who are trying to and succeeding in living their lives in more sustainable and responsible ways. Finding verified information in chaos around us, picking the relevant parts and connecting them in context is demanding, but doable, as long as young people have the insight into the subject. This project idea was raised and developed by Star Team, which is a group of four young people, volunteers in Fashion Revolution Slovakia, actively participating in running the organization and its campaign. They are coming from and working with a target group, so they know the needs of young people and ways of dealing with them. Star Team is a connection between organisation and implementation of the project and they will shape and moderate it. Activism, eco-grupos and volunteerism - young people want to solve topics surrounding them, but the topic of the fashion industry is completely absent especially in formal and non formal education. The only way to educate about it is through self-study and following campaigns on social media. The aim of the project is to widen and deepen young people competencies, obtain their better orientation within topics of fashion industry and its sustainability, its place in the world economics context, understanding the impact of the fashion industry on the environment, society and economy, its connection with our everyday lives and finding solutions (literally) through our own wardrobes. Development of this know-how and skills (evaluation of own user habits, ability to amend own clothing, critical approach to commercial campaigns, recognition of greenwashing, etc) will shift attitudes of young participants of this education. Outcomes of the project are lessons about the fashion industry and sustainability, usable in formal and nonformal environments by young people and young people with hearing difficulties. Open source lessons will offer cross-sectional education absent in the formal education system, lessons will be reflecting subjects of classic school subjects. Activities in these lessons will be created the way they are usable in different conditions and youth workers/educators will be able to adapt them to the needs of their target groups. Universality of lessons is guaranteed thanks to their form. Project primary target groups are young people, young people with hearing difficulties and youth workers/educators working with them. Secondary target groups are educational and edification institutions, formal and informal groups of people with hearing difficulties and all prospective users. Project will result in a unified package of 50 lessons in text and video form, available for and manageable by young people and young people with hearing difficulties, as well as in methodology on how to use these lessons in work with the target groups. Other results of the project will be fully educated 100 young people with/without hearing difficulties from partner countries, formation of Star Teams (groups of young people contributing to project activities and activities of partners, each 3-4 members) and their ability to cooperate on international level, fully educated 15 youth workers from 5 partner countries (with own participation on project outcomes, ready to use, disseminate and build on these outcomes), 150 youth workers from 5 partners countries able to use outcomes in their work. All this will strengthen the educational environment on national and european level and contribute to digitalisation of education.
1. Develop edu materials: The primary focus was to create relevant and up-to-date educational materials on the fashion industry. These resources were intended to benefit both formal and non-formal edu settings, enriching the learning experiences of youth. 2. Foster collaboration with youth: Collaborating with young people, including Star Teams within Fashion Revolution teams, was a key goal, while responding to their request for understandable edu materials. 3. Educate young participants in project methodology: An important objective was to educate the young participants about the methodologies employed during the project. The aim was to inspire and equip them with valuable skills, motivating them to use these methodologies in their future careers. 4. Synchronise methodologies among experts: The project focused on educating and synchronising methodologies used by all experts involved. This cohesive approach aimed to expand their knowledge, expertise, and collaborative experience. 5. Strengthen partnerships and relationships: Building strong partnerships and fostering relationships among project partners. This collaborative approach aimed to create a foundation for future collab, promoting ongoing cooperation and mutual growth.
We recognized the critical need to develop resources for non-formal education, catering to the interests of youth seeking materials for their free time, home schooling and as support materials for lockdowns. We aimed to heighten awareness among the youth about the far-reaching impact of the fashion industry on the environment and society. By exploring the entire value chain, from production to consumption and textile waste, we aimed to cultivate conscientious practices among the youth. We provided edu materials: based on the requirements of young people, educators, and youth workers. We bridged the gap with formal education: the void in formal edu settings concerning the fashion industry, our project contributed to filling this gap, offering valuable resources to enhance existing curricula. We empowered educators and youth workers: to equip colleagues in the field of education and youth work with specialised materials, empowering them to effectively incorporate fashion industry education into their professional practices. Through innovative approaches such as video lessons, we made learning from home attractive and convenient for young learners, maximising the project's impact on youth empowerment and sustainable practices.