Project
Status & OutputsWhat does tinker mean?
Verb: to make small changes to something, especially in an attempt to repair or improve it
Noun: especially in the past, a person who travelled from place to place, repairing pans or other metal containers
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Impression of a Tinker by Franz Feyerabend 1790,
Credits: Kevin Carter http://siftingthepast.com/
project progress
How far have we gone?
The project was launched in November 2022 with a duration of 26 months (until December 2024).
The circle depicts our monthly progress.
%
December 2026 (M26)
A2.4 National Reports
During the first phase of the project, the partners researched the status of tinkering in each country. Their national reports include a mapping of stakeholders relevant to tinkering and/or sustainability education, idenify the challenges and oppotunities to integrate tinkering in learning schemes.
Greece
National Report for Greece prepared by MIO-ECSDE / MEdIES
Iceland
National Report for Iceland prepared by the University of Iceland.
Italy
National report for Italy prepared by Bartolomeo and CRES
Netherlands
National report for the Netherlands prepared by NEMO Science Museum.
Capacity Building
The project forsees many capacity building tasks for the partners and the target audience (teachers and students), including mapping of stakeholders, printed guides as well as training events. Check them out!
A2.5 Tinkering Training for Partners
The three day long training was convened during the first months of the project, in order for all partners to feel competend with tinkering. Read more.
A3.1 Methodology toolkit
A toolkit for developing Tinkering activities with a focus on sustainability has been prepared. This aims to support teachers of both sides (either tinkers, or sustainability teachers) find meaningful links betwen these two. Access the toolkit in the following languages: English, Greek, Dutch , Italian, and Icelandic (PDF files)
A3.3 Facilitators' Guide
Before implementing the Learning Activities of the Toolkit (A3.2) with your learners, please consult this guide, that includes tips and tricks (general as well as specific for each activity) a glossary of terms and more resources . The Guide is available in English, Italian, Greek, Dutch and Icelandic languages (PDF Files).
A3.2 Toolkit with Learning Activities
The “heart” of Tink@School is its Toolkit comprised of 11 Learning Activities linking tinkering with sustainability. These can be implemented in class and other settings, either autonomously or in various combinations. Take a look !
Tinkering a Sustainability Calendar
In this activity students create a sustainability calendar, promoting concepts such saving water and energy, reusing, repurposing and recycling staff, green transport, green food systems, etc. Days such as Earth Day or World Water Day, can be infused to motivate learners. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
Balancing Sculpture with Waste
In this activity, we create a balancing sculpture from reusable resources, packages, waste from home (e.g. plastic, paper, metal, wood, fabric, glass), as well as natural materials like small stones, branches, pine cones, straw, shells, etc. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
Tinker a Kinetic Sign on Sustainabilty
By creating a changing action sign made with recycled cardboard, students learn to engage with sustainability and think about how to properly communicate their own messages on this topic in a playful, crerative or humorous way. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
Scarecrow with Solar Panels
This activity is linked to the “Scarecrows Artwork”. Starting from a discussion on Renewable Energies, learners are invited to design a scarecrow that moves with power from the sun. Engineering mechanisms are explored, in order to make the scarecrow move by solar power. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
Save the planet bag
In this activity learners tinker a unique bag that encourages others to take sustainable actions. For example, the bag can be used to collect recyclables, encourage reuse, pick up litter, or as an item to transmit a green motto. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
Shadow art with (marine) litter
Using a pile of different sorts of waste from the recycling bin or collected during a clean-up event, in this activity we tinker with flashlights and surfaces to create a “Shadow Art Piece” that tells a story about sustainability. Download the Activity in English, Italian, Greek, Icelandic, Dutch. (PDF files)
WP4 Implemenation
This Work Package deals with the implementation of Tink@School and its Toolkit in the partner countries, resulting in a critical mass of practitioners and students that are familiarised with Tinkering for Sustainability!
A4.1 Selection of Toolkit Activities
This document culminates in the selection of (a) specific Tinkering activities of the Toolkit (WP3) and (b) Relevant target groups related to work in sustainability (WP2), in each project country. (PDF File)
A4.3 Assessment and evaluation (impact)
Internal and external evaluation activities will be undertaken, starting from the mapping of stakeholders, to the training, and the imapact to stakeholders.
Wp5: Communication / Dissemination
The main communication tools and dissemination tasks of TINK@School
are listed below be in several languages.