Ekolarium

In Vejle in Denmark is this great SDG Experience center called Økolariet. It says: have a fun, exciting and educational experience. This center is the inspiration for Ekolarium, the Frisian version of Økolariet: a learning environment where the SDGs are the main theme.

In the Ekolarium schoolchildren of primary and secondary education can experience the SDGs, together with their teachers or parents. Students from Vocational and Higher education will partake in developing the center. In the first phase of the development of Ekolarium students are investigating the need for such a center. In the next phases students will multi-level and multi-disciplinary work together with experts on developing the contents of the center. Partners in the Ekolarium will be government, knowledge institutions NGO’s and companies.

Key in this center is the experience. In stead of moving directly towards having a solution and making it, we are focusing on the first crucial steps: observing and feeling. After that we can move towards thinking and making. In the center you can experience using all of your senses. It makes you conscious of what you feel regarding different subjects. “What does that mean for me, for us, for the world?” We are calling this the artist mindset, which will be evident in the Ekolarium.

The Ekolarium will also be a magnet to companies, students and citizens who would like to participate in and contribute to this movement. Tourists will come to be part of sustainable eco-tourism and Fryslân will be known for its forward position on circular economy.

Even though the center is not there yet, we see that it is already working. Students become more aware on the SDGs working on an assignment for the Ekolarium, changing their behavior. Local governments and companies are looking for ways to deal with their responsibility towards the Global Goals, on which the Ekolarium might be the answer.