Changemaker’s Mission: Reimagine Waste, Inspire the World

1. What do teachers need to do?

• Register your class participation by clicking on "Request to join." Once registered, start working with your class.
• Guide your students through the 3 steps of the project.
• Help students upload their work to the board (if necessary).
• Make sure they complete and share Activity 2 (this is mandatory).
• Encourage interaction by commenting on other students' posts and celebrating their work.

Optional but recommended:

• If possible, add your students to the platform so they can have a more enriching and personal experience—posting their work, commenting on peers' projects, and exploring the board themselves in a safe and moderated space.
• Not all students may have an email or permission to interact directly. In these cases, teachers can post and comment on their behalf and still ensure that student voices are shared and valued.

2. Key Dates

To help your class stay on track, we recommend the following timeline:

• Activity 1: Trash Treasure Hunt
• Submit by September 12
• Activity 2 (Mandatory): The Reimagination Lab
• Submit by September 22
• Activity 3: "Reflect & Celebrate"
• Submit by September 26
• Deadline to post work: September 30
• Project review: October 3
• Certificates available from: October 7

3. What will your class receive?

• A downloadable certificate of participation from the platform (if requirements are met).
• A social media mention from Class2Class.org and our newsletter.

4. Important participation rules

• Must post at least one activity to the board
• Activity 2 is mandatory
• Registered classes that do not participate will be removed from the project list.

5. Project Steps

Step 1: Trash Treasure Hunt
🎯 Objective: Raise awareness about consumption and help students see “trash” with new eyes.

Teacher's Guide:

• Introduce the challenge with a short discussion or video about waste and recycling.
• Ask students:

➤ What do we usually throw away without thinking?
➤ Can trash become something valuable or beautiful?

• Show 2–3 inspiring examples of reused objects turned into art, tools, or decorations.
• Invite students to look around their home or school for discarded items that could be transformed.
• Emphasize that the object should be safe to handle and allowed by the family to be reused.
• If working in class, allow time to explore shared spaces or bring items from home.

Student Action:

• Each student chooses 1 discarded item and completes this sentence:

“I found this and I think I could turn it into…”

• Take a photo of the object and share it on the project board with their sentence.
• Students explore the board and comment on at least two creative ideas shared by peers from other classes.
• Teachers may moderate or post on behalf of students if direct interaction is not possible.

Optional Classroom Challenge:

• As a class, create a fun "Top 5" list of the most unusual, creative, or surprising items found.
• Display it on the board (with photos and names or nicknames) to inspire others globally.

Step 2: The Reimagination Lab
🎯Objective: Use creativity to transform waste into something valuable and share the creative process.

Teacher’s Guide:

• Begin by revisiting the items students selected in Step 1. Ask:

➤ What could this become? What is its potential?

• Guide students to sketch or describe a transformation plan for their object. Encourage creativity, usefulness, and even humor.
• Use templates or “wild design” worksheets for fun idea generation.
• Encourage students to work individually, with families, or in small groups, depending on context.
• Provide time or assign work at home to carry out the transformation of their object using safe, accessible materials.
• Remind students to document their process (photos or videos) from beginning to end.

Student Action:

• Each student (or team) creates a short video (max 2 min) or PPT showing:

1. The original object (“Before”)
2. The creative transformation process
3. The final result (“After”)
4. A brief explanation of what it is and why they made it

• Upload the video or PPT to the project board.
• Watch and comment on at least two projects from other classrooms.

Optional Collaborative Activity: "Inventor's Day"

• Coordinate with another participating class and organize a virtual or asynchronous Inventor's Day.
• Each group presents their project as a "Shark Tank-style pitch":

1. What did they create?
2. Who would use it?
3. Why is it awesome or helpful?

• Presentations can be done via:

1. Zoom call
2. Pre-recorded video presentations and shared on the board.

• Add fun elements like:

1. “Most unexpected transformation”
2. “Best eco-invention name”
3. “Most likely to be sold at a real store”

Step 3: Reflect & Celebrate
🎯Objective: Celebrate, reflect, and inspire through a global showcase of creativity.

Teacher’s Guide:

• Guide your class to select their top 3 projects to represent the group in the global showcase.
• Upload the chosen projects (photos or videos) to the project board.
• Introduce the global voting categories and explain how students will recognize creativity and innovation in peers’ work.
• Facilitate reflection by prompting students with guiding questions about what they learned and what inspired them.
• Highlight that this is not about competition, but about celebrating diverse ideas and building global inspiration.

Student Action:

• As a class, post 3 favorite creations on the board.
• Explore the projects from other classrooms and participate in the global voting, choosing winners in the following fun categories:

1. Most Creative
2. Most Useful
3. Most Surprising
4. Best Eco-Message

• Each student leaves a personal comment on the board answering:

1. Which project from another country inspired you the most?
2. What did you learn about recycling and your own creativity?
3. What will you do differently at home after this project?

Assessment and reflection

• Reflection Form or Class Discussion. Guide students with these questions:

1. What object did I transform and why did I choose it?
2. What inspired me from the projects of other students around the world?
3. What did I learn about recycling, creativity, and sustainability?
4. What small change can I apply at home or school after this project?

• Teacher Evaluation Criteria. Teachers can evaluate students based on:

1. Participation – Active involvement in all steps, timely submissions, and contributions to discussions.
2. Creativity – Effort, originality, and imagination in transforming the object (before-and-after).
3. Collaboration – Willingness to engage with peers globally by commenting on and reflecting about others’ projects.
4. Global & Environmental Awareness – Ability to recognize the importance of waste reduction and sustainability.
5. Reflection & Growth – Depth of insights when reflecting on their own learning and on the ideas shared by international peers.