On July 4, the first Bâtisseurs de Possibles (Builders of Possibilities) meeting took place, since Learning Planet Institute took over coordination of the program. Five classes met online to present and discuss their projects for the year. The kindergarten and primary school students chose to tackle issues that affect them, such as waste, bullying and poverty. They then imagined and built incredibly imaginative solutions, which they had the pleasure of sharing with other schools. The idea behind the program? To empower students to take action, to have a positive impact on the world.
Well done to all the students and their teachers!
« It allows us to do something at our own size, at our own level, something we can do something about, Léandre, CM2 student
« Thank you for this wonderful moment of exchange on Tuesday. The children enjoyed feeling that they were not alone in changing the world. », Anne-Lore Greter-Traoré, teacher
4 steps to building a classroom project
From kindergarten to high school, the Bâtisseurs de Possibles (Builders of Possibilities) approach guides the class through four key stages to help students find and build a solution to a problem they have raised: 1-Identify a problem; 2-Find a solution (and dare to come up with crazy ideas); 3-Realize the solution; 4-Share the solution.
For each stage, the Bâtisseurs de Possibles program offers a methodology and tools (collective intelligence games, guiding frameworks for facilitating sessions) to facilitate cooperation, observation and the implementation of solutions.
Thanks to a project-based teaching approach, students are actively involved in the learning process, from the identification of a problem affecting them in their daily lives (class, school, neighborhood, community, society, planet...) - linked to the issues at stake. Sustainable Development Objectives, defined by the UN - to its resolution.
« Mending broken hearts in the yard » - Good health and well-being at school
Léa Souccar-Lecourvoisier's Grande Section class, Ecole Notre Dame - Viry-Châtillon (91)
Sustainable development goal concerned
1 - Identify a problem : « There are too many heartbroken kids in the yard »
With the help of the «Bâtisseurs de Possibles" kit, the kindergarteners identified a number of problems, such as "...« sometimes in the courtyard, there are boys fighting »or « ihere's too much garbage in the yard. »
Then they had to debate and vote on a problem to solve, which was as follows « there are too many heartbroken children in the yard.»
2 - Finding a solution: prevention and consolation
The students came up with several ideas for « mending broken hearts on the courtyard » :
- Say kind words: « When someone throws a punch, you have to say a kind word to make the anger go away. »
- Drawing for the broken-hearted
- Training mediators
- Saying things the right way
3 - Creating this solution: the drawing box
The solution that the kindergarteners have found and decided to test for the « broken hearts »and the « angry people »Make a drawing box.
Drawing objectives:
- Consoling
- Bringing down anger
- Enabling discussion
- In short: « show someone that they are important to us »
Why a box? Because students need to be able to access the drawings during recess when the classroom is closed.
After the kindergarteners shared this solution with other classes, Anne-Lore Traoré, CM1-CM2 teacher and E3D referent at Lycée Jean Mermoz in Dakar, explains:
«Madani, a fifth-grader, came to see me to tell me that one of his classmates was very upset because his love wasn't being shared... and that he drew him a picture to mend his broken heart. He told me he wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't been for this friendly moment of sharing projects.»
Find out more about the project : here
« Troc Monsieur and Troc Madame » - Consuming differently
Class of CM2, Ramona Coupel-Dulgheru, Ecole Nouvelle Emilie Brandt - Levallois Perret (92)
Sustainable development goals concerned
1 - Identify a problem : pollution
The various problems identified by the class: pollution of beaches, oceans and the environment, over-consumption, automobile pollution, pollution from the textile industry, etc.
Selected issues : fight against over-consumption and pollution of the textile industry and oceans.
2 - Finding a solution: Mr. Barter and Mrs. Barter
Troc Monsieur and Troc Madame: two mascots designed by Théodore for a school flea market! The idea? Collect clothes and board games, because « children love board games »And through a system of tickets, to allow the bartering of objects to give them a second life! « Troc Monsieur and Troc Madame: everyone swaps a little bit! »
3 - Make it happen: organize a collection and flea market
The CM2s organized collections in different classes of the school and organized the flea market.
Profits from the flea market will be donated to the Sea Cleaners association and its ocean-cleaning boat «Manta».
« Anti-harassment posters » - Fighting bullying at school
Béatrice Poignonec's CE2-CM1 class at école Leclerc - Croissy sur Seine (78)
Sustainable development goal concerned
1 - Identifying a problem: bullying at school
Problems identified by the class: pollution, poverty, physical and verbal violence, fear, anger, bullying, global warming, forest fires, war in Ukraine.
The class voted to tackle school bullying. First we had to define it and take stock of the situation. The students then conducted a survey in their school: « One student who felt harassed was already too many. »
2 - Finding a solution: raising awareness through communication
Various solutions were proposed, such as creating a happiness tree or posters. It's the latter idea that will win the election: « The posters need to be brought to the attention of younger children to raise their awareness. » « The earlier you talk about it, the less risk there is of harassment developing. »
3 - Making it happen: posters with strong messages
The students designed posters with carefully chosen, powerful messages, such as «.« Harassment is like a fire: when you put it out, traces remain. »or « Harassment is like a stone on a flower: when you remove the stone, it takes a long time to recover.. »
The children also asked the Canopé network (a teacher training network) for feedback on how to improve their campaign.
4 - Share
With the help of the Croissy sur Seine town hall, the students had posters printed that they would like to distribute to other schools.
Find out more about the project : here
« Back to school without a cover page on the notebooks » - Combating deforestation
Chrystelle NINOT's CM1 - CM2 class at Louis Robert school - Coulommiers (77)
Sustainable development goals concerned
1 - Identify a problem : combat deforestation
Issue chosen by the class: combating deforestation
The students based their work on the following observation: 6,300 sheets of paper are used just for cover pages in the 3 public elementary schools in Coulommiers.
2 - Finding a solution: raising awareness through communication
Two solutions emerged: plant trees and make posters, and encourage schools to save and recycle paper.
«I'm delighted to have discovered the Bâtisseurs de Possibles network! [...] The students got really involved and realized that they're not too small to take action! There were some great moments in the classroom, and the project was rich in human terms and in terms of subject learning too. The video was a real highlight, much appreciated by the students! They were delighted to discover your beautiful projects and to see in concrete terms that they weren't the only Builders!»
Chrystelle NINOT, teacher
3 - Make it happen: create prevention posters and address other schools directly
The primary school team chose to email schools and make posters to raise awareness of deforestation and paper consumption: « how to recycle paper at school? »and « how to save paper at school? ». Commitment to a flagship action, «Une rentrée sans page de garde», was also proposed.
4 - Share
The students prepared a communication plan to engage their own school, other schools in the commune, and in fine of their constituency.
Find out more about the project : here
« Solidarity in Guelak » - Fighting poverty
CM1 and CM2 class of Anne-Lore Greter-Traoré and Céline Khadra, from Lycée Jean Mermoz - Dakar (Senegal)
Sustainable development goals concerned
1 - Identify a problem : poverty eradication
Students in the CM1 and CM2 classes have launched 4 "Builders of Possibilities" projects on the following issues:
- 1 project to combat poverty, presented at the Meeting (more)
- 1 project to combat gender inequality (more)
- 2 projects to fight for animal rights (find out more : here and here)
2 - Find a solution: organize a collection
The students chose to help the village of Guelak. To do so, they first asked the villagers what they needed.
3 - Make it happen: create prevention posters
The students organized a school-wide collection. In particular, they created boxes for all classes to collect donations: clothes, school supplies, powdered milk, books and games. Then the students went out into the village to bring in the donations. « We were so successful that we couldn't fit everything in the bus hold. »
GET YOUR CLASS INVOLVED IN A "BUILDERS OF POSSIBILITIES" PROJECT
«How will children change the world?
- That's right! With what powers?
- Only wizards have power.
- And witches.
- Yes, we do! We have the power of intelligence!»
Kindergarten discussion at Notre-Dame school
Would you like to set up impact projects in your classroom? Your students are asking a lot of questions: how can we work better in our classroom? Why do people live on the streets? Would you like to empower your students to take action on the world around them?
Join the Builders of Possibilities program for the 2023-2024 school year!
The Bâtisseurs de Possibles® system, adapted from Design For Change to the French school context, today federates a network of committed teachers, teaching resources and tools, and support (training, follow-up, etc.).
Whether you want to discover the process step by step or launch a project with your students, the Bâtisseurs de Possibles network is there to help you!
Beyond the benefits for student skills such as cooperation, empathy, speaking up and creativity, the fact of making students actors in their own lives is a key factor in the success of the project. reduces eco-anxiety.
«This Bâtisseurs de Possibles approach is really worth spreading: it reveals the child, it helps them learn to see the value of sharing, of working together, of sharing ideas, of believing in a better world!», Béatrice Poignonec, teacher
MORE ABOUT BÂTISSEURS DE POSSIBLES
Discover the project Builders of Possibilities
Discover the student projects 2021-2022
MORE INFO
Discover our interview with Laelia Benoit, child psychiatrist and researcher: how group projects can help children cope with eco-anxiety.
Discover other portraits of our community members
