About the project Educational Centre

Project title: Educational Centre Dropie 

Program: Norway Grants, co-financed by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic

Project status: In progress

Project partner: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), www.nmbu.no

Organizational unit: SEDS/SEVVO/Dropie Centre

Project duration: 17 September 2026 – 30 April 2031

Aim of the project: to develop a universally applicable innovative climate education program, accompanied by a practical demonstration of solutions through the concept of a "BUILDING THAT TEACHES ABOUT CLIMATE." The Dropie Education Centre will also serve as a practical demonstration of energy, water management, nature-based, and other adaptation and mitigation solutions.

Activities:

Development, verification, and evaluation of innovative climate-related educational programs:

• new, innovative climate education programs for teachers, instructors, environmental education coordinators, and students.

• “PrímaKlíma” – an innovative residential “school-in-nature” program.

• “Hypericum” – an environmental competition for lower secondary school students, combining physical activity with knowledge-based tasks.

• “ŠIŠKA” Environmental Education Festival – focused on the exchange of experiences and best practices in environmental and climate education.

• “Climate and Water” educational campaign – designed for schools and beyond.

• assessment of the effectiveness of environmental education programs – development of a framework for assessing the effectiveness of educational programs, as well as a model for evaluating environmental education projects.

• study visit to Norway for the project working group – strengthening bilateral cooperation, sharing best practices, and the direct transfer of expertise from the Norwegian partner.

• implementation of the “building that teaches about climate” concept – integrating interactive educational elements directly into the building itself.

Recunstruction of the Dropie Educational Centre – a "building that teaches":

Planned adaptation and mitigation measures as part of the renovation:

• a photovoltaic system with battery storage for operational needs;

• heat pumps for heating and cooling the building;

• a ventilation system with heat recovery;

• an intensive, accessible green roof with vegetation;

• an interior green wall;

• clay plasters as a low-carbon material solution;

• construction of a wastewater treatment plant for the Educational Centre, with subsequent reuse of the treated wastewater;

• the solution includes the sanitization of treated water for reuse in compliance with applicable legislation;

• the wastewater treatment plant and water reuse system will also serve as a practical educational tool to demonstrate the efficient management of water resources in the context of climate change;

• creation of an outdoor educational space near the water tower.

Project information activities:

• 3 conferences:

o             November 5, 2026: Open conference at the Dropie Centre

o             October 2028: Midterm conference at the Dropie Centre

o             April 2031: Final conference

• website and social media

• direct communication with schools and the professional community

• promotional items: based on the principle of minimizing the project’s environmental footprint; items designed for practical use and containing recycled or more environmentally friendly materials, with the aim of preventing unnecessary consumption