On May 19, a waste sorting training took place at the Ilmatsalu Youth Center. The trainer was Sandra Jaanika from Fridays For Future Estonia. We found the trainer's contact through the Estonian Association of Open Youth Centers, which informed its members about free training courses offered by the Youth Environmental Council.
The training was conducted at a rather fast pace over 1 hour. It included a dialogue, a lecture based on a slide presentation, and a practical task. The trainer was competent and direct in communicating with young people of different ages. Sandra Jaanika's passion for the topic and respectful attitude towards so-called amateurs were evident. This was likely due to her experience.
The youngest participant in the training was 9 years old, and the oldest was 14. There were a total of 8 participants, and their average age was 13-14. Speaking of numbers, it was pleasant to see that students from both second-third and seventh-eighth grades were able to listen to and complement each other. The trainer also used a pausing technique once to refocus the participants' attention.
The practical task was appropriate for the training's objective – all participants had the opportunity to get hands-on and sort waste themselves. Snack packaging from the training and waste scattered around the training room by the trainer had to be sorted in sequence, with participants explaining why each item was placed in a particular bin.
The training was followed by a brief reflection. We received a recommendation to create a compost bin for biodegradable waste. Advice was also given in the style of “keep waste bins with different categories in one room or a specific place in the corridor, and remove other bins” and the possibility of later creating a garden bed using the compost bin's soil was mentioned.
I consider the training successful. This was partly due to introducing the trainer to the principle of the youth center's open youth room and the warning that anywhere from 3 to 30 young people might participate.
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