The THALLA Project a collaboration between the Union of Working Consumers of Greece, ORIMAS Lab, and the 1st Primary School of Dionysos received the Bronze Award at the Education Leaders Awards 2025
In a quiet classroom in Dionysos, north of Athens, the seeds of environmental awareness are taking root quite literally. The Union of Working Consumers of Greece, in partnership with THALLA’s research team of ORIMAS Lab and the 1st Primary School of Dionysos, has been honored with the Bronze Award at the Education Leaders Awards 2025, in the category “Cultivating Environmental Awareness and Climate Change in Public Primary Education.”
The recognition crowns months of collaborative work on the THALLA “When Sustainability Meets Education” program, an initiative that bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and hands-on learning. Designed to bring sustainability into the everyday life of schools, THALLA highlights how the climate crisis is transforming agriculture and food systems, while offering students the tools to understand, observe, and respond to environmental change.
At the heart of the project lies a living laboratory: a model vegetable garden and greenhouse constructed within the school grounds. Equipped with a modern weather station, improved soil substrate, and a fully functional irrigation system, the space allows students to act as “young investigators,” monitoring data and connecting environmental theory to real-world impact. This tangible engagement has transformed science lessons into immersive experiences, where technology meets soil and observation meets curiosity.
The project’s educational content — including tailored videos, interactive presentations, and quizzes was developed in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and the Union of Working Consumers of Greece. These materials introduce children to the principles of agroecology, climate resilience, and food security, linking global sustainability goals to local agricultural realities. Through cultivating organic vegetables and fruits, both in the greenhouse and outdoors, students gain a firsthand understanding of how farming can become a force for environmental protection rather than degradation.
The Education Leaders Awards 2025 distinction is more than a commendation; it symbolizes a new educational paradigm in which sustainability is not an abstract concept, but a daily practice. The initiative demonstrates how schools can serve as microcosms of environmental transition, integrating innovation with tradition and science with community spirit.
All partners involved the THALLA project consortium, the teachers and administration of the 1st Primary School of Dionysos, the Parent-Teacher Association, and, most importantly, the students have expressed their gratitude and pride for this achievement. For them, the award reflects not only a successful educational experiment but also a collective belief in the transformative power of learning.
As Europe intensifies its commitment to climate education and sustainable food systems, initiatives like THALLA point toward a future where resilience is cultivated from the ground up in classrooms, in gardens, and in the minds of the next generation.