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Middle school students pitch their future ideas for the Seefeld region
Vision 2040
Just before the end of the school year, the first year of the new cooperation between TVB and the Mittelschule Seefeld came to a successful conclusion. During the Design Jam, the students developed their vision for Tyrol's high plateau in the year 2040 and presented it in 90-second pitches to a five-member jury. From a regional food truck offering local products in creative dishes, to a green energy cycle for the school, to a weekly planning app that introduces users to a less known excursion destination in the region every day, there were many exciting ideas.
The students of the 4th grade had been intensively working throughout the entire school year on the TVB, the importance of tourism for the region, as well as on issues of sustainability and future viability of Tyrol's high plateau. Now they met one last time at the Seefeld Middle School to develop and present their visions for their homeland in the year 2040 during the final design jam. This time, the members of the student parliament from the 3rd grade were also present, who will start the second year of cooperation together with their classmates next year.
Divided into twelve groups, the students chose one of the five thematic areas of Team Plateau – Energy, Recreation Area Design, Mobility, Regionality, and Environmental Protection. Afterwards, they received a challenge which they solved in the form of a crafted model (prototype) and then presented it to a jury in a 90-second pitch. The jury consisted of TVB Managing Director Elias Walser, Georgios Chrysochoidis, Mayor of the Municipality of Leutasch, Anton Heufelder, Managing Director of the Karwendel Nature Park, Simon Rios-Damerow, KEM Manager of the Seefeld Plateau Region, and Ines Pichler, a scientist and resident of Seefeld.
For two hours, the groups intensely discussed, developed, and tinkered with their prototypes and solutions. Afterwards, they presented these and answered, among other things, the following tasks:
- How can we save energy in our school while keeping it cozy?
- Design a sports and recreation area where you would enjoy spending time yourself.
- Develop a year-round offering that is fun for both guests AND locals.
- What could a vacation on the plateau look like so that guests are happy to leave their cars behind?
- How could regional foods become as attractive to young people as fast food?
- How could lesser-known places on the plateau become so interesting for guests that they go there?
The ideas of the 12 to 14-year-olds were exciting and impressive. The TVB, nature park, municipalities, and the KEM region were able to provide not only important feedback to the young people but also take inputs for their everyday work. "The exchange with the 'next generation' is important and enriching for all of us," says sustainability coordinator Michaela Kraler, who regularly worked with the teenagers throughout the school year. "I think it's great how the students have contributed and want to actively shape the future."
The cooperation with the TVB is also very important for the Seefeld Middle School. Principal Siegfried Klotz emphasized at the graduation ceremony for the 4th grades the opportunity that this provides: "The students learn firsthand what tourism means for our region and how they can help shape it; now and perhaps also in their professional future."
The future can come, especially since we have the "next generation" actively on board.