The Games of Change, the interschool that enlightens the children of Ecuador in the care of the air, water, land and waste management

This is the second year that the interschool The Games of Change, that invites students from fourth to seventh year of basic education and their teachers and families to create practical solutions to an environmental problem through experiential projects in four categories: water, earth, air and fire.

In 2021, The Games of Change incorporated 455 participants from 92 schools and 18 provinces. Its spokespersons, the eco-experts, are representatives of different environmental initiatives and organizations, and share the learning from the first edition and their expectations for the one that is about to begin.

in front is Claudia Salem, creator of the Yo Siembro Ahora initiative (@yosiembroahora), together with Universidad Casa Grande, and representative of the Land category. She says that “it is wonderful to see how environmental education fosters social transformation. The children of the new generations, by having socio-environmentally informed and empowered adults, can explore and demonstrate their natural interest in outdoor activities, with diverse possibilities for teamwork and based on creative, inclusive and purposeful skills”.

For this reason, The Games of Change give children the leading role, accompanied by adults, and while they raise awareness they also find tangible solutions to problems in their communities. “Environmental knowledge to harvest a better world”, says Salem.

Children’s fear and curiosity about nature

In the Air category is Benjamín Navas, biologist and guide of the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest and in charge of reporting on air in forests as a vital element for birds. “A large part of the theme revolves around the birds of Ecuador and their importance. The idea is to motivate them with information about endemic birds, and we have recorded certain clips”.

Navas is also the director of the educational organization Keep In Science (@keepinscience), which shares environmental training on social networks and also in schools. “The air is this kind of road, that invisible route by which the birds are located to find food and to find shelter.. For example, species from the northern hemisphere will soon come to pass through Ecuador”.

And if you have to focus on local endangered species, there is the guayaquil parrotwhose populations are affected. “We have 70 individuals in the wild that survive in the little dry forest that we have left. There are also other species that may not be endemic to Ecuador, but to the dry forests. There are species that are only found in this strip that we share with Peru.”

Children, says Navas, often have two perspectives on nature. “Either they are afraid or they are very curious. So, as guides we have to work on that, teaching them that they have to be careful, but not fear; and to the curious, who grab the first caterpillar that passes, you have to show them what the limits are”.

Sharing ocean culture with children and their families

The first edition of The Games of Change was impressive for Daniela Hill, representative of the element of Water and of the educational NGO Amiguitos del Océano (@amiguitosoceano). “There was a lot of involvement from teachers, children and parents. In the review of the projects it was super difficult to choose. One has no idea what can come from children and young people, and to think that sometimes we do not allow them to have that voice. Keeping our inner child intact is what keeps us exploring and innovating; That is seen in the projects. In my category one of the winning teams advanced to a prototype bag made from avocado seed materials!”, he recounts.

Children and their guardians are also able to open their eyes to environmental problems through Eco Challenges. “That moved them to look for ideas to solve problems. It was a super high bar, and that teaches us not to underestimate the knowledge or the desire or the potential that children have, especially when we associate them with these realities”.

Through the children, says Hill, the adults became involved. “The Games of Change are not only an interschool for children, schools and teachers, but also spaces for environmental education are generated in the familysomething that is necessary and urgent, something that we must continue working on”.

Part of the surprises of this second edition is the recording of four episodes hosted by Roberto Manrique, in partnership with Juntos X la Tierra and the Ministry of Education, which will be broadcast on October 3, 10, 17 and 24, on educatv. Each category will be in charge of one of those videos. “As the Amiguitos del Océano Foundation, we will have the opportunity to talk about oceanic culture at the national level, and to promote connectivity in children: it does not matter where we are, Coast, Sierra, Oriente, Insular region, or on the other side of the world, we are participants in the changes and solutions on our planet”.

Waste management education begins at school and at home

The waste management in Ecuador is another of the edges of The Games of Change. In this matter, the person in charge is Tatiana Salas, leader of the Fire category and of the Manos al Ambiente community (@/manosalambiente). “Last year we talked about recycling, we did webinars and we motivated them to be garbage hunters, to investigate inside their houses: what was their waste generation, how many plastic bottles a week, how many cartons of milk, what of all that could be recycled and what not”.

The children learned, among other things, to substitute certain materials using the five Rs: reject, reduce, reuse, recycle and reintegratewhich originally corresponds to the English verb rotwhich translates as ‘decompose’ and refers to the basic practice of composting.

“They had to implement the R’s in their lives, since they recycling is not the only solution to waste problems. Sometimes one thinks that one must be an adult or a university graduate to generate change, when in reality it is the simple proposals that achieve it”. The contestants reflected on how to create a circular economy model in their communities. “I applaud the teachers who, being in a pandemic, managed to motivate the boys.”

This year, Salas wants to elevate the game. “Unfortunately, our citizens are not clear about what product or what material can be recycled and what cannot.” For example, not all PET packaging (used in bottles, small fruit packaging or coffee cups) can be easily recycled, it depends on where you take it. Getting communities in Ecuador to have comprehensive waste management is a gigantic project, but for the moment The Games of Change intend to sow this and other concerns in their small competitors. Schools can get more information at Yosiembro.org. (F)