Hello, Global GEG!
As we continue our month of Creativity & Sustainability, we are shifting our focus from what we see in the environment to how we create the objects within it. In a traditional "linear" economy, we take, make, and throw away. but in 2026, we are teaching our students a new rhythm: the Circular Economy.
Creativity is the engine of the circular economy. It requires us to look at a plastic bottle, a broken laptop, or even a digital file and ask, "What else could this be?" This week, we are exploring how AI and collaborative design tools can help our students move from being consumers to "Circular Designers" who create without leaving a footprint behind.
Grounding Our Vision
We are grounding this week’s work in the UNESCO 2026 ICT in Education Theme, which challenges us to use AI to "reimagine creativity and critical thinking." By using technology to solve real-world sustainability challenges, we ensure that AI remains a tool for human agency and environmental healing.
How Might We Design a Future Without Waste?
- Circular Brainstorming: How might we use Gemini to perform a "Product Autopsy"? Have students ask Gemini to trace the lifecycle of a common classroom object and suggest three creative ways to "design out" its waste at the end of its life.
- Prototyping with Purpose: In what ways can Google Drawings be used to create "Systems Maps"? Students can visualize how energy and materials flow through their school, identifying "leaks" where creativity could intervene.
- The "Nudge" for Your Inbox: If you find your digital life feeling cluttered, this week might be a great chance to explore Google Drive’s storage management tools. Deleting "digital waste" (like 50 versions of the same draft) is a small but creative act of digital sustainability.
- Global Inspiration: Take a look at the Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science. Seeing how researchers use AI to solve climate resilience can be the perfect spark for a student-led project in your local GEG home.
Your Turn to Lead the Conversation: Circular design starts with a change in perspective. What is one item in your classroom that your students have "reimagined" or repurposed recently? Share your stories of circular creativity in the comments below!
