Attention and respect for the environment, resources, the implementation of recycling and the principles of the circular economy, health and well-being are central themes for the present and the future.

POPPY and BEST, also considering their mission to raise awareness and educate children and young people on current issues, particularly those related to the 2030 Agenda, have implemented a series of interventions, educational tools, as well as simply good practices and projects.

Specifically:

- primary school children and Best Middle students have been provided with water bottles to avoid water waste associated with the repeated use of smaller containers made from non-environmentally friendly materials
- technical measures have been adopted to reduce the amount of water dispensed from school taps per second, achieving water savings sometimes exceeding 50%
- equipment for oxygenating water used for cleaning has been adopted to reduce the necessary amount
- the educational programming at BEST and Best Middle includes numerous moments and lessons to raise awareness and teach students about the importance of water and the need to avoid waste

- for FOOD, technical measures for stock management have been planned, just in time, to avoid waste and spoilage; students are constantly encouraged to use food responsibly, respecting food as a resource that our country enjoys compared to less fortunate parts of the world

- for ENERGY, the common goal we are all called to is to contain consumption; therefore, where possible, the school uses LED lamps, presence switches, and reduces waste
- progressive interventions have been implemented on windows to decrease fuel consumption for heating
- educational and teaching interventions on heating, responsible use, and its effects on the planet are organized for all age groups

- in the area of RECYCLING, all our schools practice separate waste collection supporting the Cartesio Project; the use of water bottles aims to reduce plastic waste. We adopt technical measures to decrease the amount of detergents used for cleaning and dishwashing in our schools by up to 90%, minimizing the impact on sewage discharges

- numerous initiatives and interventions aim to emphasize the importance of the fight against POLLUTION, starting from daily personal experiences

- to protect HEALTH, an essential good, a weekly sanitation and hygiene protocol has been adopted, which includes the use of ozone technology for daily surface cleaning and a permanent periodic methodology for sanitation, using the sanitizing paint REair, with high germicidal and purifying power

- a system for monitoring CO2 levels in confined spaces and filtering excess CO2 and other pollutants is planned, in connection with air purification technology.

In addition to the interventions we have described, our schools aim to spread a culture of nature and its respect in all its different forms and expressions, to protect biodiversity and for the future of all of us.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT

The BEST School has structured and launched an Environmental Education Project aimed at students of all classes to raise awareness about caring for school environments and the separate collection of waste.

In each classroom, bins/containers have been added for organic waste, non-recyclable waste, paper, and plastic to guide the acquisition of correct behaviors regarding separate waste collection and order.

After some training moments aimed at all students, this path has been designed as a competition for responsibility on the topic, and each class has two responsible students, on a weekly rotation, to coordinate the collection and maintenance of order in the classroom.

At the end of the day, a staff member observes each classroom, and on Friday evening assigns a score from 6 to 10. At the end of the year, the class with the highest score will receive a merit recognition.

We believe that conveying, through these experiential projects, the message of protecting the environment in which we live and the correct use of resources while avoiding waste is a way to educate new generations for conscious citizenship, so that civic education is not just a school subject but becomes an integral part of everyone's lives, improving conditions in the present but especially in the future.

… Because a clean planet must be learned to be deserved.

"CAP COLLECTION" PROJECT

This year, our school shares a wonderful initiative with families: the Cap Collection project.

The heart of our commitment lies in the desire to help the La Madonnina Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and comfort to families of cancer patients. Through their house built in Candiolo in 2007, the Foundation offers a welcoming accommodation for those who, coming from near or far, wish to be close to their loved ones during treatment.

Often, people arriving at the Foundation do not have the financial resources necessary to cover the costs of staying in a hotel for long periods. This is where our commitment to collecting plastic caps comes into play. In addition to contributing to the environment through recycling, the caps allow us to raise funds that are then donated to the Foundation to help cover the accommodation costs of patients and their families. To date, 27 rooms for 54 beds are guaranteed, but the goal is to reach 46 rooms and 92 beds.

The cap collection is therefore a good way to help because, in addition to direct financial support, this activity teaches our children important values of solidarity, environmental responsibility, and altruism. 

By involving our young students in collecting caps, we are imparting to them the power to make a tangible difference in the lives of others and in the environment around us.

We are educating future generations to be conscious citizens, ready to lend a hand to others in times of need.