girls go circular
About the Project
Girls Go Circular supports schoolgirls, and more broadly, any student, to develop their digital and leadership skills while learning about the circular economy and finding solutions for a sustainable future.
Learn by doing!
The project’s methodology is based on a learning-by-doing approach which engages students in different activities such as online research, entrepreneurial role-plays or challenge-based exercises.
The skills developed align with the EU Digital Competences Framework 2.2 (DigComp), the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp), and the European Sustainability Competence Framework (GreenComp).
The project’s online learning platform – Circular Learning Space – offers the participating students the opportunity to:
Acquire knowledge on the circular economy
Gain insights into the steps taken by businesses towards the circular economy
Improve their digital and entrepreneurial skills
Come up with their own solution to societal and environmental challenges
Addressing Societal Challenges
A Circular Economy for Smartphones and Electronic Devices
Mobile phones contain a lot of precious metals and minerals. Therefore, it is essential that we keep them working as long as possible and the raw materials that constitute them are recycled, reused or disposed of properly. Find out about the impact of smartphones and other electronic devices on the environment and learn how to create a circular economy for ICT appliances.
Circular Economy of Food in Cities
Cities can be key to driving circular change and transform the food system. It’s one of the most ambitious challenges of our time – if we get it right, we’ll help avoid a climate crisis, restore biodiversity, improve human health and reconnect people with their food – all the while creating new business opportunities. Let’s find out how in this module!
E-waste and the Circular Economy
This module looks at the growing problem of E-waste. It explores the importance of improving the collection, sorting and recycling of E-waste as well as the role a circular economy can play in eliminating waste in the first place.
Fashion and the Circular Economy
Clothes and textiles should have a higher utilisation rate and re-enter the economy after use, instead of ending up in landfill. Learn about the concept of circular fashion and its impact on the economy and the environment, and create your own business model.
Metals and the Circular Economy
A new approach is needed for the mining and metals industry. The high value of many metals and the environmental cost of their extraction makes it imperative to recycle, recover and reuse them. Check out this module to understand how metals can be extracted and used more sustainably.
Rethinking Plastics
Building a circular economy for plastics requires a complete rethinking of how it is designed and used. Research the benefits and problems of using plastics, discover solutions to tackle the global plastic waste crisis and propose alternatives for producing goods without plastic packaging.
Robotics and the Circular Economy
We are currently living in the new era of Manufacturing, a so-called Industry 4.0, in which innovative technologies such as Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are playing an essential part. Industry 4.0 bears enormous opportunities to enable circular economy in which end of life products are reused, remanufactured and recycled.
Tackling Climate Change Through Circular Consumption
This module emphasizes the role of the circular economy in tackling climate change. It gives an overview of the environmental issues relating to consumer goods and indicates how adopting circular consumption practices can help us reduce humanity’s climate impact.
Sustainable Mobility for Circular and Inclusive Cities
Adopting circular and more equitable planning approaches for improving the mobility systems of our cities is essential. Learn about environmental and societal challenges produced by urban mobility, and how the concept of sustainable mobility is addressing them by bringing together technology solutions with a healthier and greener lifestyle.
Climate-neutral Hospitals of the Future - Saving Lives the Circular Way
Climate change presents the biggest threat to global health in the 21st century, yet, the health care sector itself is responsible for an immense number of net emissions. In this module, students will learn about this dispute and develop solutions for a climate-neutral hospital of the future.
Artificial Intelligence and the Circular Economy
We are living in a new era of technology and innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an essential part. AI bears enormous opportunities to enable a circular economy in which end-of-life products are reused, remanufactured and recycled. Throughout this module, you will learn and understand how this technology is accelerating the transition to a Circular Economy.
Circular and Climate Resilient Transformation of Cities
This module introduces the complex relationship between circular transition and climate change mitigation. It gives insight into the diverse nature of urban development and the environmental impact of the buildings. You’ll learn how the circular transformation of cities could contribute to tackling climate change.
Schools as Living Labs for Systemic Food Circularity
Explore the Circular Economy of Food from a Systems Thinking perspective and one of its tools: Systems Mapping. This approach will help you understand how Living Labs, for example in the form of school gardens, are relevant tools to foster systemic food circularity at the local level.
Semiconductors: Powering Digital and Green Transformation
Semiconductors are a key component of many products we use daily, including smartphones, laptops, cars, and refrigerators. Not only do they play an important role in consumer goods, but also in the production of renewable energy. Even our efforts to bring resource consumption within the production itself to a climate-friendly level are driven by the semiconductor industry.
Smart and Healthy Cities
Air pollution, noise, heat, and the lack of green space and physical activity, are all environmental factors that can have a negative impact on our health. You will learn how to contribute to healthier urban environments by adopting the right urban design and mobility solutions. The module will also present some examples of technological advances in the service of people’s health and well-being.
Deep Tech Innovation from Farm to Fork
The following module touches upon the intertwining of the agriculture and food systems and how deep tech advancements can help them become more circular and sustainable. Under the “Farm to Fork” framework, you will understand how circularity and sustainability can be achieved in these sectors.
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