One element of the Joint Research Centre expert visits appreciated by students and teachers alike this year is how well the scientists aligned with our target learning outcomes and Green School ethos. These expert visits helped reinforce one of the core aims of Green Week, empowering students to be informed, responsible citizens. We are extremely grateful to our visitors for their time, their knowledge, and his ability to make complex scientific ideas both accessible and engaging.
🌿🔬 Monday 24, Day One of Green Week!
A huge thank you to the two visiting experts, Zanovello Flavio and Eugenio Gervasini, for providing presentations and Q & A sessions to our students on two critical and fascinating sustainability topics for the first day of Green Week!
🌱 Biodiversity Workshop – S6 Students
Eugenio Gervasini, Agronomist and Scientific Administrator at the JRC provided an insightful presentation on Biodiversity, climate change, and adaptation strategies.
Students’ gained a deeper understanding of key syllabus areas:
• Biodiversity and climate interactions
• Sustainable agriculture
• Integrated pest management
• Citizen science and environmental awareness
☢️ Nuclear Waste Management Workshop – S5 Students
Flavio Zanovello delivered another very relevant presentation on Nuclear Waste Management, again skilfully integrating our syllabus targets:
• Understanding waste
• Radioactive waste
• Processing techniques
• Conditioning & disposal
🌿 Tuesday 24, Day 2 of Green Week!
Many thanks to Mathieux Fabrice, a mechanical engineer who holds a PhD in design for recycling electronic waste, presented on the topic. Electronic waste is especially relevant to our students, who participated earlier this year in the Terra Rara project, collecting electronic waste that was later transformed by an artist into a beautiful installation in our city centre. Our in‑house Repair Club, run entirely by students, also helps give faulty or broken electronics a second life. 🔧 Student feedback included that the presentation was “contemporary and hit close to home”, “an excellent job at getting the students involved”, and that Fabrice had a “very engaging and pleasant way of presenting”. It was so engaging, in fact, that we do not have any photos to share of Fabrice in action!
We had more student interaction and engagement in the afternoon with Celia Burgaz, who played the JRC’s Sustainability Game with delighted groups of our S1 students. Celia is a Scientific Project Officer at the JRC, and an expert in sustainable food systems and health policy. Students loved the colourful graphics and interactive nature of the game, and said it made understanding the impact of choices ‘easy and fun’! What a wonderful tool for teaching sustainability to young learners! 🌱 💚
🌿🔬Wednesday 25, Day 3 of Green Week
We had the privilege of welcoming Davide Lanzoni who delivered a JRC expert lecture on “PROJECT SUPERFOOD” to S5 and S7 students. Davide runs the fascinating Exploratory Research Project SuperFood at the JRC. He introduced students to contemporary research in sustainable food systems, prompting reflection on some ethical and environmental implications of these new technologies. Students engaged actively with questions on food security, solutions, and cost. Students strongly engaged with the topic, which has particular relevance to those studying the Society, Technology and Science course.
🌱 Thursday 26, Day 4 of Green Week 🌱
A massive thank you to Giulia Listorti, experienced policy analyst and project coordinator, who delivered an excellent presentation and Q&A session to S6 and S7 students on ‘The Future of Food’. The materials were accessible, visual, and engaging, greatly enhancing students’ subject-based learning on this important topic.
Thank you to all our visiting experts for your time, your expertise, and your commitment to bettering our school community. Your contributions are so valuable in bringing complex topics to life and inspiring our students to Build The Future We Want.