Children’s Environmental Projects Come Together at the International Environment and Science Festival

The International Environment and Science Festival, to be organized in the city of Xanthi, Greece, on 7–8 October 2026, brings together environment and sustainability-focused projects developed by children from Turkey, Greece, Ukraine and Bulgaria.

At the festival, which will take place as part of the ecosySTEM project led by IDEA Universal, 12 student projects selected from four countries will be presented to visitors. The children will share the ideas and research they have developed in the fields of the environment, sustainability and science, as well as the proposed solutions they have devised using the E-STEM approach, in an international setting.

Three Innovative Projects from Turkey in Xanthi

The projects developed by the children who will represent Turkey at the festival demonstrate an approach to finding solutions to environmental problems encountered in everyday life, as seen through the eyes of children.

The “Nanoparticle-Based Radiation and Toxic Gas Sensor” developed by Aybars Bekler offers a solution for detecting radiation and toxic gases that could pose a risk to the environment and human health.

The ‘Early Warning System for Rural Water Networks’, developed by Semih Gümüşbuğa and Mehmet Said Siğa, aims to enable the early detection of potential problems in the water infrastructure in rural areas.

The Scratch-based ‘Water-Saving Agents’, developed by Muhammed Kağan Özer, Efe Çilingir and Mert Kerim Durusoy, is designed to help children develop water-saving habits through play.

Through these projects, children from Turkey will not only showcase the ideas they have developed themselves; they will also have the opportunity to come together with their peers from different countries to share their thoughts on environmental issues and explore different approaches to finding solutions.

Children Are Becoming Part of the Solution to Environmental Problems

The ecosySTEM project goes beyond simply equipping children with knowledge about the environment and sustainability; it supports them in recognising the problems they encounter, investigating them and developing their own ideas for solutions. In line with this approach, the festival creates a meeting place that brings together science, the environment and creativity, where children can share the projects they have created in an international setting.

Through the work we carry out in Turkey as IDEA Universal, we aim to support children’s skills in scientific thinking, problem-solving and developing sustainable solutions; and to empower them to become active individuals who generate solutions to the problems faced in their own communities. The festival to be held in Xanthi will be one of the key events at which this approach will be shared on an international scale.

The Festival is Open to Everyone

One of the key aspects of the festival is that the event is open to the public. Students, parents, teachers and anyone with an interest in the environment, science and sustainability are all invited to the festival.

Throughout the festival, which will take place in Xanthi on 7–8 October, visitors will be able to take a closer look at projects prepared by children from four countries; discover the ideas the children have developed to tackle environmental issues; and come together with young people from different countries to discuss science and sustainability.

The International Environment and Science Festival is being organised as part of the ‘ecosySTEM – Empowering Children for Environmental Sustainability through E-STEM’ project, which is being implemented under the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme and co-funded by the European Union.