NextGenBioPest at the 4th Primary School of Volos!

On December 12th, 2025, our partner ELGO-DIMITRA organised an educational event at the 4th Primary School of Volos, Greece, introducing fifth- and sixth-grade students to NextGenBioPest. The children learned about the project's objectives and discovered how science and technology can help protect crops while preserving the natural environment.

Science You Can See and Touch

The session was designed to be as hands-on as possible. Beyond hearing about the project, the students had the chance to observe insects under a stereomicroscope, a moment that often turns curiosity into real fascination. Seeing the tiny details of an insect's body up close helps children understand that the creatures we sometimes call pests are living organisms with a role in the ecosystem, and that managing them wisely requires knowledge, not just chemicals.

The children also took part in interactive educational games, which turned the key ideas of the project into an enjoyable, memorable experience.

Explaining Sustainable Crop Protection to Young Minds

For primary school students, concepts such as pest management, biological control and sustainable agriculture can seem far away. By presenting them through familiar questions, such as how food is grown and how we can look after nature at the same time, the ELGO-DIMITRA team made them accessible and relevant.

The main message was clear and positive: researchers are working to find new ways to protect crops that are kinder to the environment, and science and technology are important tools in this effort.

Planting Seeds for the Future

Reaching children at this age is a long-term investment. Pupils in fifth and sixth grade are beginning to form their interests and their ideas about the world, and early positive experiences with science can encourage them to continue exploring it. They also carry what they learn home, sharing it with parents and families, which multiplies the reach of the activity far beyond the classroom.

This visit continues the school outreach that ELGO-DIMITRA began in November 2024, when it delivered a seminar to around 30 students on innovations in integrated pest management, and it complements similar activities carried out by other consortium partners across Europe.