Cascos Verdes, Argentina
Environmental Awareness/Social Inclusion
Cascos Verdes ("Green
Helmets") is a non-profit organization dedicated to
raising environmental awareness through the implementation of
socially inclusive programmes. They attempt to achieve these two
objectives by training young children with intellectual
disabilities into environmental care to become environmental
educators for school pupils. Their aim is to generate environmental
awareness and to achieve the inclusion of disabled youths in the
country's social framework, through a number of programmes and in
particular:
>"Crear
Conciencia" (Create Consciousness), which consists in
training young people with all types of disabilities (mostly Down
Syndrome) to environmental care, so as to ultimately turn them into
environmental educators.
>"Ambiente Para Todos" (Environment for
All): upon the completion of the 2-year training of "Crear
Conciencia", the mentally disabled students continue instructing
other kids in private and public schools mostly in the outskirts of
Buenos Aires.
>"10 days for the Environment": a10-day tour
on diverse locations in Buenos Aires Province will be carried out
with the group of the project "Crear Conciencia". Its purpose is to
expand the message of social inclusion and environmental conscience
through environmental exhibitions carried out by the own
students.
>"Sociedad Inclusiva" (Inclusive
Society), a programme which offers information and
support on social inclusion. Carried out through exhibitions,
events and communication campaigns the purpose is to serve as a
link between institutions, companies and foundations, promoting in
particular the creation of jobs for disabled youths.
Through a very innovative approach,
Cascos Verdes contributes at changing fundamentally the way
mentally disabled young people are being looked at by kids of their
age, whilst raising awareness about the environment and how to
safeguard it.
The Trafigura Foundation will
support the Cascos Verdes programmes over 2009 and 2014
http://www.cascosverdes.org/
Click here
to see their last video.
Click on any picture to view the gallery