The BIG4LIFE project has launched its first Community Service Learning (CSL) team to monitor the refurbished green roof of the H3 building at the Agrobiotech Park in Lleida (formerly known as the PCiTAL building).
The team is formed by four participants of the INVESTIGO program, a University of Lleida student pursuing his Bachelor’s Final Project, and a high school student working on her High School Final Project. For two years, the team will visit the roof weekly to monitor the development of the planted sedums by identifying the species, species’ coverture of the roof, total plant coverture, and the appearance of foreign weeds.
The CSL model, integral to the BIG4LIFE project, provides a platform for external contributions to maintenance and monitoring tasks while promoting environmental education and awareness. Unlike traditional volunteer work or experiential education, CSL combines learning with service, benefiting both students and the organizations they assist.
In the BIG4LIFE project, CSL (framed in WP4- Stakeholder capacity building) is employed to involve new stakeholders—internal or external to buildings like schools or universities—in maintaining and monitoring impacts, thereby addressing staff shortages. Historically associated with resolving social issues like integrating marginalized groups, CSL in BIG4LIFE aims to foster social, environmental, and circular economy awareness among youth participants.
