Nature, data and education
As part of the pilot, students are working with IVN Nature Education and Good City Sense, a data-driven innovation company, to investigate the effect of a green-blue schoolyard on the microclimate. They measure temperature and soil moisture using sensors and link these data to their own observations about well-being, health and experience. In this practical way, they discover what greenery and water do for their surroundings.
A pilot at two schools
The pilot is taking place at two schools in Noord-Brabant: OLV Lyceum in Breda and Campus 013 in Tilburg. In Breda, students will work this autumn on measurements relating to biodiversity (the variety of life in a particular area) and climate. In Tilburg, they will examine the social effects of a green schoolyard in January. In April, both schools will present their results at the provincial government offices.
“The combination of data from the sensors and other information about trees and biodiversity makes it clear how we can work together more intelligently with our nature, our water and our surroundings,” says Arjen Hof, founder of Good City Sense, which has already successfully rolled out the pilot in other provinces. “By sharing and analysing data, we learn together what works.”
Youth advisers in Breda
The research is part of a Youth Advisory Bureau, in which students from the second year take on the role of 'youth advisers'. Based on the research, they brainstorm ideas for making OLV Lyceum even greener and more sustainable. “By measuring and researching things themselves, students experience what their own environment needs. This makes students part of the solution. Together, they create an improvement plan for their schoolyard,” says Daniek Bosch, project leader at IVN Nature Education.
Students in action
The students at OLV Lyceum are actively getting involved. Ecoteam supervisors Marlon Sanner and Paul van de Wouw hope to see their students grow in awareness and engagement. “In our Ecoteam, students and teachers work together to raise awareness of sustainability and make the school greener. For example, the courtyard garden has been transformed into a green study area. The Smart Schoolyards pilot fits in perfectly with this: students can genuinely contribute ideas and take action. They learn what their role is in a sustainable future – and that makes learning meaningful,” say Sanner and Van de Wouw.
Schoolyards of the Future
The province of Noord-Brabant has been working for years with the Brabant water boards, IVN Nature Education, Jong Leren Eten and the North Brabant Cultural Fund to make schoolyards greener. Thanks to the Schoolyards of the Future subsidy scheme, more than 400 schoolyards in Noord-Brabant have already been made greener. The Smart Schoolyards initiative adds a new dimension to this: measuring and learning with technology.
A green, smart and climate-resilient Noord-Brabant
Sharing knowledge and learning from data helps improve the environment: a healthy, biodiverse environment that all residents of Noord-Brabant can benefit from.