8 to 10-year-old students from the Curé-Brassard school of the city of Nicolet, located in the region of Quebec, Canada, took part in the W5 project with the objective of improving their upcycling skills by creating second-hand bags from COVID-19 masks. The goal was also to raise awareness about the litter created by human activity and to exchange knowledge across generations.
With more than 1000 masks used per day, the school raised a global concern about the amount of COVID-19 waste in their bins. The education team wanted to give students the opportunity to learn how to recycle and create second-hand items. Moreover, this project allowed them to teach children how to sew and be creative!
How did they do it? The team contacted people in the local community and presented the project to the board and the council of the school. They even met the city councillors to make them commit to the work. In order to engage a few elderly people to join the kids, the school also contacted the director of a local community centre for elderly.
“We asked all our colleagues to help us with the collection of used masks. We tested the fabric, washed them, and tried to create a prototype of a grocery bag with the collected waste. Since October, the children have been meeting once a week to prepare and create the bags. We also solicited the help of elderly people for their sewing skills, and we wanted them to socialise with the younger members of the community.“ – Elisabeth Cassan and Gaétane Fortin, the Curé-Brassard school.
Thanks to the W5 project, the children have developed important creative skills, they have helped the school and community reduce their waste, and they have gained important social skills! The plan is to sell the bags and use the profits for having an outdoor class.
Éloise felt very proud the first time she completed her first sewing project. Moreover, she was the first one to finish it! She called her grandmother to tell her all about this experience. Éloise became very independent in the course of a few weeks. She now knows how to cut masks and remove bands as well as metal pieces. She is now also able to give advice to her classmates and help them in complicated sewing situations.“ – The story of 9-year-old Éloise, student at the Curé-Brassard school.
Radio Canada even published an article about this school's innovative recycling project which recognizes the school's environmental efforts in their community: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1877584/recyclage-masques-jetables-ecole-cure-brassard
The Alcoa W5 project activities at Curé-Brassard school support the following SDGs:
