Age

15

Country of Residence

Nigeria

Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?

When we first came in to SS1, the chairs and tables available were not sufficient for the number of students so some students have to sit on the floor while others hang around the window. One of my teachers who is also a Teach for Nigeria fellow Opened my eyes to the fact that we can actually turn some resources into wealth and also make the environment better. I looked deeper and saw the need to turn the challenge into opportunity. I involved some of my colleagues and we started collecting wastes such as pet bottles and cans, these we intend to sell, partner with local artisan and make chairs and tables for conducive environment and make learning productive.

How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.

We have orientate and are still orientating all the students in our school on the need for proper waste disposal,how we can generate resources from these wastes and the benefit it will be to the community if these waste are used in the right way. We intend to start orientating students in other schools too on the need for this.

How many people are on your team?

10

Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?

The project aims to strengthen student agency, improve the learning environment, and promote a cleaner, more sustainable school environment by empowering students to identify challenges and lead practical solutions . For the 90 SS1 participants, the pilot targets better learning behavior and environmental responsibility, with students expected to learn more comfortably, participate actively, maintain their learning spaces, and contribute to proper waste management and a cleaner school environment.

Project Category

My project is an existing project started by another young person that I am replicating

Project Stage

Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)

Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence

The Green Champions Initiative is a student-led project at Ijeshatedo Senior Secondary School that transforms recyclable waste into sustainable classroom furniture while empowering students to lead innovation, resource mobilization, maintenance, and improvements in learning engagement and attendance.

Project title

Green Champions Initiative

The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?

Over 300 SS1 students at my School face limited access to suitable and flexible classroom seating, with only about 40% using standard seating during lessons, which affects concentration, note-taking, colllaboration, and participation in project-based learning, while inadequate waste management further impacts the cleanliness and sustainability of the school environment.

Website URL(s) or social media handles.

What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.

Over a 10-week period, the Student Innovation Club, with mentorship and support from school management and PTA, will lead the design, fundraising through recycling, production, installation, and maintenance of 30 student-designed desks, while promoting proper waste management and a cleaner, safer learning environment. Students will track attendance, participation, desk conditions, and environmental cleanliness weekly, using the results to improve the pilot and develop a replicable model for SS2, SS3, and other schools.

Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?

This project is different from other projects because it doesn't just look for solutions to abnormal seating arrangements by students but also aims at solving the issue with the view of making the environment better thus emphasizing proper waste disposal, turning wastes to wealth and getting resources from waste.

Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.

To improve classroom comfort, participation, collaboration, and cleanliness for SS1 students by engaging the Student Innovation Club in co-designing and producing 30 durable 3-seater desks and benches through student-led fundraising, recycling, and local partnerships. The project will also establish a student-led Desk Care and Green Committee to promote furniture maintenance, accountability, environmental responsibility, and sustained student ownership.

Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?

Myself and my colleagues who formed the team go around the classes to collect recyclable wastes. We also picked some littering the school compound. We also orientate other students in the need to dispose these waste properly in order to avoid pollution in our environment.