This year InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, in cooperation with SPIRIT Slovenia, organized educational thematic workshops promoting wood and woodworking for primary schools across Slovenia.

The workshops were held at 11 primary schools and at the InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM building, reaching approximately 570 pupils from different parts of Slovenia.

The workshops focused on promoting wood as a sustainable material and strengthening pupils’ scientific and technical literacy. Through engaging and interactive activities, pupils learned about the origin and life cycle of wood, the properties of different wood species, and its applications in construction, everyday life and industry. They also explored the importance of wood as a renewable resource and carbon sink, as well as its contribution to sustainable development and reducing environmental impacts.

The program included four thematic modules:

• Experimental exploration of wood characteristics – pupils conducted hands-on experiments to test the strength, hardness and density of different types of wood and learned how these properties affect their use.
• Interactive learning about wood with digital tools – using the Mentimeter app, pupils explored how wood is formed, its use in industry and the variety of professions related to wood.
• Sustainable use of wood and environmental aspects – through presentations, pupils learned about the responsible use of wood, its role as a renewable resource and carbon sink, and its contribution to sustainable development and reducing environmental impacts.
• Exploring fungi, their relationship with wood and practical applications – pupils learned about fungi and their role in relation to wood through an introduction to this topic and practical demonstrations of manufacturing mycelium based composites.

With these workshops, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM and SPIRIT Slovenija, encouraged young participants to explore wood as a sustainable and versatile material, develop their scientific and technical skills and discover the potential of the woodworking sector. The initiative also aimed to raise awareness of the importance of responsible natural resource use and inspire young people to consider future educational and career opportunities in the field of wood.