Más allá de la basura: una experiencia pedagógica en el IED Mariano Santamaria

Abstract

This work examines the phenomenon of waste from a critical and pedagogical perspective, framed within the Pedagogical and Research Cycle "History, Pedagogy, and Politics of Waste," led by Professor Frank Molano Camargo. The research focuses on environmental education with seventh-grade students at IED Mariano Santamaría (San Antonio del Tequendama), aiming to redefine the concept of waste through discard studies. Its objectives were to foster a critical understanding of "waste" among students and analyze the society-nature relationship through consumption habits. By systematizing experiences, the study integrates conceptual reflections—such as the waste regime and the society-nature dichotomy—with pedagogical practices in a pandemic-affected context (marked by limited connectivity and student dropout rates). It concludes that waste is not merely residue but a reflection of power dynamics and inequality, proposing that environmental education should serve as a tool for critical thinking and action on socio-environmental issues.