STORY PREVIEW

2024

Illegal Parking

11th Primary School of Korydallos

Attica

MENTOR

Eliza Tziamali

Step 1 FEEL

List the challenges or problems in your surroundings (school,neighbourhood etc.) that bothered you.

Quality of food served by the government program School premises cleaning Poverty/Beggars Illegal Parking/Unsafe access to pavements by disabled persons and small kids Boring school lessons Dirty streets/pavements Heavy schoolbags Heavy traffic/car fumes

State the problem chosen to work and why.

Illegal parking in city pavements and disabled persons' ramps Children felt that this is an issue that makes the everyday life of disabled persons, senior citizens and children difficult and poses a threat to their safety, making the city a hostile environment for them to circulate freely.

Who were the people affected by the problem? What were their primary concerns?

Disabled persons Senior citizens Families with babies in strollers or very young kids When access to pavements is blocked, people need to be on the street, puting their life and safety in danger.

Step 2 IMAGINE

List ALL the different solutions you came up with.

Flying parking spots Flying cars Bigger parking areas in the workplaces Rooftop parking areas Areas that belong to the city being used as parking areas Stricter control from the municipal police Fines for illegal parking Police Cranes lifting illegally parked vehicles More road signs about parking Raise awareness

Which solution from those listed above did you choose to implement and why?

Raise awareness Children concluded that many times people can't imagine that what they do has such a negative impact on the others. Furthermore, people need a reminder if they do someting wrong that others are watching and they are prepared to take action about it.

Step 3DO

Describe very briefly the process of implementing your solution(s).

Children wrote a letter to the city mayor with proposals on how the authorities can implement solutions. They created posters about legal parking. They made penalty and reward cards for those who park illegally and those who park mindfully. They organised a trip on foot around major city streets to distribute leaflets, posters and place the parking cards on vehicles' windscreens. They have posted a school blog post about the subject and they created a QR code which was printed as a sticker on the cards and the leaflets.

What was the result or impact of your project?

The city mayor was willing to meet and discuss the issue. Due to lack of time, he called and promised to take the childrens' concerns into account. The school personnel and the parents were inforned. The owners of the vehicles who found the cars on their vehicles were aware of the toruble they caused or felt motivated to keep parking legally. The citizens of Korydallos were informed and realised that they shoud also take action and claim better parking spots.

How many people were impacted by your solution(s)?

200

What did the impacted people have to say about your project? Provide 2 quotes or testimonials:

"I felt touched by the fact that children thought about people like us, who have difficulty moving around our city, and dedicated their time and energy to do something about it." "I felt proud for the children, but also motivated. I realised I should not give up and say that nothing ever changes, I should try and become the change myself"

What challenges did you encounter while implementing your project, and how did you overcome them?

It was the first time DfC was implemeted in Greece. It was a pilot program and we had very little time. We had to overcome the lack of teaching hours since it was near the end of the school year but that made us more quick thinking and effective.

How long did it take to implement your solution?

7-15 Days

Which global goals does your story align with?

Sustainable cities and communities

Please explain briefly why do you think so?

A city should be a safe space for all its citizens to circulate freely and safely. Illegally parked vehicles obstruct a large number of people, the most vulnerable of them actually, to enjoy their everyday life and to access spaces like shops and playgrounds.

Step 4 SHARE

How did you share your project with your school and community? Who did you share your project with? What was their response?

A post on the school blog An organised trip during school hours in the city streets where leaflets were handed out, posters were placed and parking cards were put on vehicles.

Approximately how many people did you share your story of change with?

More than 100

Briefly share your plan to sustain the impact of your project?

A meeting with the city mayor. A presentation to the whole school and parents. A school trip with more children participating.

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