CONSCIOUS DISPOSAL OF WASTE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT AT THE DONA ODORINA CASTELO BRANCO SAMPAIO SCHOOL – JUAZEIRO DO NORTE/CE

Abstract

This article reports, discusses, and analyzes an educational intervention project carried out with lower secondary students at Dona Odorina Castelo Branco Sampaio School, located in Juazeiro do Norte/CE, focusing on conscious solid waste disposal. The work's locus reflects a typical Brazilian scenario: high rates of irregularly discarded waste, insufficient selective collection infrastructure, and a sense of distance between individual/collective responsibility and environmental problems. The project, developed by nursing undergraduates from Centro Universitário Paraíso, included discussion circles, workshops for building selective waste bins, and practical collection campaigns during the school period, stimulating reflection, engagement, and proactive behavior among students and the community. The results show that participatory educational practices significantly increase environmental knowledge, awaken a sense of youth protagonism, and promote attitudinal changes outside the school environment. Improvements were observed in waste organization, local cleanliness, encouragement of a reuse culture, and knowledge dissemination to students’ family homes. The article identifies challenges such as limited time, resources, and institutional continuity, highlighting the need for permanent school-wide engagement, curricular systematization, and longitudinal monitoring processes. It also points to possible developments, broadening the scope of actions and deepening interdisciplinary and community integration, proving that educational interventions can transform cultural patterns and foster cleaner, more inclusive, and conscious cities.