Abstract:

In the context of growing environmental challenges and the need to promote sustainable education, the AgroSOS-2030 project emerges as a pioneering initiative to integrate service-learning into the educational curriculum. Carried out by the professors team of the Projects Unit at the ETSI Agronómica, Alimentaria y Biosistemas of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, this project focuses on the creation of a vertical garden at the Isabel La Católica School, aimed at educating primary school students in ecological agriculture practices and healthy nutrition and directly involving 82 children from 4th and 5th grades. The main objective of AgroSOS-2030 is twofold: firstly, to design and build a ten square metres vertical garden space that serves as a living didactic resource for the teaching of environmental sustainability and healthy nutrition to primary school students; and secondly, to encourage practical activities in the learning of university students in the subject of Environmental Engineering Projects. This project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG4 (Quality Education), and uses a Service-Learning methodology that includes phases of planning, design, execution, and evaluation. The implementation of AgroSOS-2030 has shown significant results, both in the satisfaction and learning of the involved students and in the social impact on the local educational community. The satisfaction survey conducted among UPM students revealed a high degree of agreement on the educational and social relevance of the project, and a strong willingness to participate in future service-learning initiatives. Furthermore, the vertical garden has served as an innovative didactic resource for the Isabel La Católica School, allowing students to practically explore the principles of ecological agriculture and sustainability. AgroSOS-2030 represents an exemplary case of how education for sustainability can be effectively integrated into the curriculum through service-learning. This project has not only enriched the educational experience of primary and university students but has also contributed to the construction of a broader environmental and social consciousness. The lessons learned and the successes achieved with AgroSOS-2030 offer valuable insights for the replication of similar initiatives in other educational contexts, highlighting the potential of service-learning as a tool for sustainable change.

Keywords:

Service-learning, environmental education, organic agriculture, healthy nutrition.