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Junior High School pupils from Chania had the opportunity to take part in a unique educational experience, through their participation in the European educational programme Young Eco Heroes, which is coordinated by the Technical University of Crete and implemented within the framework of the European university alliance EURECA-PRO (European University for Responsible Consumption and Production).
EURECA-PRO, in which the Technical University of Crete has been participating since 2020 as a founding partner, is a dynamic alliance of nine European universities in eight countries, with a shared mission of promoting sustainable development and, in particular, Responsible Consumption and Production. In this context, the Technical University of Crete develops initiatives that bring students and pupils into contact with contemporary environmental and social challenges, strengthening their active participation and environmental awareness.
The Young Eco Heroes educational programme was attended by the 1st Experimental High School of Chania from Greece, along with the Primary School No. 4 in Mikołów from Poland and the Martin Luther Gymnasium Hartha from Germany, giving to a total of 46 pupils the opportunity to collaborate in international teams and exchange ideas on critical environmental issues.
The pupils worked on thematic topics, such as textile waste and fast fashion, sustainable agriculture and the farm-to-fork approach, as well as the creative reuse of waste. Over the past six months, the teams worked closely with the participating universities — the Technical University of Crete (Greece), the Silesian University of Technology (SUT) in Poland, and the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (HSMW) in Germany — to develop their ideas and projects.
The programme culminated during the week of 16–20 March 2026 at the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in Germany, where the pupils met in person and participated in a rich program of educational activities focused on sustainability. Through workshops, presentations and group activities, they explored practical ways to contribute to a more sustainable way of life. At the same time, they had the opportunity to experience university life firsthand and tour the campus and laboratories of the institution. Part of the cost of the pupils' trip was covered by EURECA-PRO.
The Young Eco Heroes program aims not only to raise pupils' environmental awareness, but also to develop basic skills, such as collaboration, communication, presentation, use of the English language and critical thinking. At the same time, it introduces pupils to the university environment, opening new perspectives for their future paths.
As the pupils themselves highlighted, "the most important aspect of the experience was meeting and collaborating with our peers from other countries, as well as the opportunity to present our work in front of an open audience, in English, during our stay in Germany". As they noted, "the public presentation ultimately turned out to be less stressful than we expected, but we felt particularly proud of the hard work we accomplished as a team".
"The goal is the same for everyone: to find solutions that promote more sustainable behaviours in the communities they live in," said Prof. Dr. Volker Tolkmitt, Rector of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. "Our university alliance EURECA-PRO aims to contribute to greater responsibility and sustainability in consumption and production through joint research and teaching throughout Europe. This starts with commitment at the local level – and with the commitment of Europe’s young generation. That’s why I’m delighted about this gathering here at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences". It is worth noting that the work of the Greek pupils received special recognition from the Rector of the University of Mittweida, who congratulated them on their thorough and meticulous work.
The coordination of the Greek pupils would not have been possible without the valuable contribution of the teachers of the 1st Experimental High School of Chania, Nektaria Ligkounaki and Vassilis Hatzistavros, who guided the pupils throughout the program. On behalf of the Technical University of Crete and EURECA-PRO, the action was coordinated by Aliki Stergianni. All three of them accompanied the Chania pupils during their visit to Germany.
Rich photographic material from this action is available both in the official photo album (© Felix Wendt), and in the collective photo album.
This project was funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
