Little agents of the Green Deal: Ukrainian children lead communities to go green

Can children lead their communities toward greener, more sustainable futures? Yes! From the forested slopes of Zakarpattia to small cities in the Ternopil region, the younger generation is taking hands-on action to contribute to the European Green Deal’s vision of a circular economy, sustainable food systems and climate-smart communities. Whether growing vitamin-rich microgreens in schools to promote healthy diets or restoring polluted riverbanks to protect mountain ecosystems, these achievements are made possible through the inspiration and guidance of local NGOs. They ensure that EU support provided through DIXI Group for improving environmental governance in Ukraine reaches even the most remote communities, turning big climate goals into meaningful everyday actions.

From seed to plate: little scientists in action

In the town of Buchach, Ternopil region, the ProLife Ukraine NGO has introduced an innovative microgreen growing system at the local gymnasium, integrating it both into the educational process and into school meals. Using hydroponics (a soil-free technology where plants thrive in nutrient-rich water), school children planted, monitored and harvested microgreens like radish, pea, broccoli, and sunflower. These fresh sprouts – harvested 7–14 days after germination – are richer in vitamins and antioxidants than adult plants, while growing with minimal water and zero pesticides. Integrated into school meals, these greens offered students a delicious reminder of their efforts. 

“Our idea was to combine environmental education, healthy nutrition and practical activities for children that deliver tangible results,” explains Vitalii Kostianets, the NGO’s project manager. “Microgreens give children the chance to see the outcome of their work in just a few days, understand the health benefits and learn to care for plants and nature.”

Nine-year-old Daryna shared her excitement: “Together with my teachers and classmates, we planted radish, pea, broccoli and sunflower seeds, adjusted the lamps, watered the plants and watched them grow. It was like we were real little scientists. We added microgreens to salads and sandwiches – they were delicious and juicy. My favourite were the pea microgreens, being a bit sweet. It was nice to know that we had grown them ourselves,” the girl recalled proudly.

Alongside practical activities, ProLife Ukraineorganised interactive educational workshops for over 40 children on topics like sustainable development, healthy lifestyles, ecological innovations and the role of microgreens as a nutritious ‘superfood of the future’. “Thanks to the NGO’s activities our students began to ask more questions, show interest in the origin of products, and think about what they eat,” says Andriy Tovpyga, Director of the Buchach Gymnasium.

The NGO’s activities sparked strong interest from other schools and communities of the region, eager to replicate its environmentally friendly approach, proving that even with limited resources, small communities can implement modern, sustainable solutions. “Through EU-funded initiatives like ‘Microgreens for Children’, we foster environmental awareness, sustainable development skills and a responsible attitude toward resources,” concludes Vitalii. “NGOs like ours are able to quickly identify local problems, deliver innovative solutions and unite communities around a common goal, becoming catalysts of change that gradually shape a new quality of life on the ground.”

Waste sorting champions and clean river guards

Meanwhile, in Zakarpattia region, the Solidarity Is NGO tackled waste management challenges in the Velykyi Bychkiv community, where illegal dumping and river pollution have long threatened the environment. Its EU-funded initiative ‘Sort – Save the Carpathians’ combines education with actions, targeting schoolchildren as key agents of change.

As a result of administrative reforms, Velykyi Bychkiv community was enlarged to comprise two urban-type settlements and seven villages, making waste management one of the key challenges for the area. Residents often dispose household waste in surrounding forests, meadows or along rivers. These actions create natural landfills that contaminate soil and groundwater – primary source of drinking water for residents – and leave behind long-lasting pollutants like plastic and aluminium. While local authorities are ready to implement sustainable solutions like waste sorting and recycling, limited municipal funds did not allow to scale up these efforts to meet the community’s needs.

“We aimed to raise community awareness about responsible waste management and to teach future generations a sense of accountability for their impact on the environment,” explains Iryna Matsepura, head of the NGO.

At the heart of the project was the engagement of children and youth. Students took part in eco-lessons that highlighted the importance of protecting the Carpathian ecosystem and managing waste responsibly. These lessons weren’t just theoretical: the installation of containers for eco-sorting in schools trained them in waste sorting, which then continued in their families. Over 60 students and teachers became the most active participants in the community clean-up of the Apshytsia River in the village of Verkhnie Vodyane, collecting waste and witnessing firsthand the impact of pollution on local waterways.

“We also installed two waste collecting and sorting sites in the villages of Velykyi Bychkiv and Verkhne Vodyane which allow for separation of glass, plastic and aluminium cans,” says Iryna. “The sites were positioned within easy reach of households, and residents quickly noticed the benefits: sorting significantly reduced the volume of household waste.” The installed sorting sites and the success of the initiative has inspired the NGO to expand into additional sites, to plan new composting initiatives and further clean-up campaigns.

Towards a greener future

These initiatives prove that meaningful climate action doesn’t always start with grand policies. Sometimes, it starts with a child planting a seed in a classroom or picking up a plastic bottle along a river. Ukrainian NGOs like Solidarity Is and ProLife Ukraine demonstrate that empowering children and youth to care for their environment lays the groundwork for long-term change, when communities become more sustainable, resilient and aligned with broader environmental goals like the European Green Deal.

Authors: Volha Prokharava, Kateryna Pyrozhenko

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