A School Social Agro-Enterprise Established in Chernihiv Region

In the city of Slavutych, Chernihiv region, the first social school enterprise in Ukraine called Zero Waste School has been founded. This unique project combines entrepreneurship education with practical work on waste recycling and plant cultivation, fostering ecological awareness and social entrepreneurship skills among the youth.

This is reported by AgroReview

Goals and Activities of the School Enterprise

As explained by the director of Slavutych School I–III degrees No. 1, Natalia Bardakova, the idea of creating the enterprise arose after receiving a grant of 1000 euros. With this funding, a public organization “Spilnodia. Generation” was established, which became the foundation for implementing the project. Thanks to this equipment — composters, lawn mowers, and branch shredders — students learn not only about entrepreneurship but also about transforming organic waste into a valuable resource.

Part of the organic waste collected at school and in households is planned to be converted into biohumus — a natural fertilizer produced using California worms. Although the process has not yet been fully launched, the equipment has already been purchased, and work on creating eco-friendly fertilizer is ongoing.

Growing and Selling Products

As of today, the enterprise is already selling its products, growing over ten types of flowers and vegetables, including petunias, coleus, lion’s mouth, ageratum, begonias, as well as sweet peppers and tomatoes. According to Natalia Bardakova, preliminary calculations indicate that the annual income could exceed 22,000 hryvnias with a margin of 38%. At the same time, she emphasizes that these figures are still theoretical, and actual results will depend on demand and the efficiency of the enterprise’s operations.

In addition to production activities, 9th-grade students perform the roles of marketers, financiers, advertising managers, and logisticians. They undergo relevant training, manage social media, and prepare advertising announcements as part of the course “Social School Entrepreneurship.” Funds from the sale of plants are planned to be used for renovating the school greenhouse and rewarding project participants with motivational gifts, such as scholarships or organizing festive events, to demonstrate to the youth the importance of their work and the results achieved.