Around 500 students of schools in the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic learned to establish a junior consultancy and have worked on circular economy-issues both locally and internationally. Their school projects were related to waste, recycling, upcycling, modular design, but also energy efficiency, saving raw materials and a biodiverse school yard.

Businesses, governments and other organizations acted as a client and defined ‘real life assignments’ for the students. Guest lectures and excursions are also an integral part of these projects.

Some examples of Geo Circle projects:

Students in Nymburk (Czechia) have built a so called aquaponics system in their school yard. Aquaponics is a method to produce food, where a conventional aquaculture (like producing edible snails, fish and crustaceans) is combined with hydroculture (growing edible plants in water) The students maintain the aquaponics system themselves and use the crop (like lettuce) for their school canteen. Their initiative was even shown on the national Czech television broadcast.

In Haselünne (Germany) students made, together with students from one of the partner schools (Leiden), a much more circular design for the snack/drink vendor machines in the local swimming-pool. After the presentation, their own school (Kreisgymnasium St. Ursula) also decided to use their design for new vendor machines.

In the Netherlands, the Baarnsch Lyceum is already focussing on a more sustainable school building. During the Erasmus+ project, Baarn students together with Czech students from Neratovice made a design for more biodiverse school surroundings. The students even removed bricks from the school yard and implemented a new insect friendly garden. They also developed educational material for other school classes. Within the garden a new outdoor class room has been built. Next year the area will be extended with a vegetable garden for the school canteen.