In the Classroom of the Future: the stories behind cotton educational toolkit, students learn the history and impact of cotton on the world, based on 8 different themes of the Knowing Cotton Otherwise exhibition (part of the Fashion for Good Museum October 2022-2023). They are also introduced to different pillars of sustainability, through the point of view of cotton, and learn how these influence the industry today. Furthermore, students not only discover the importance of materials for sustainability, but also the stories behind them. 

During this Educational toolkit introduces students to an interactive journey through the story of cotton, looking at the past, present and future of the material. This toolkit was developed based on an education pilot programme during the Knowing Cotton Otherwise exhibition in the Fashion for Good Museum. By creating the curriculum and the interactive toolkit, we bring the exhibition to the classroom to make the experience as real as possible for the students. Local creatives and experts have contributed to the interactive toolkit with workshops and videos like Deyrinio Fraenk (Atelier Reservé Amsterdam based fashion brand), Esther Muñoz Grootveld (independent curator and program maker) and, Yasmina Ajbilou (House of Useless, Utrecht based fashion brand) amongst others. 

This toolkit was developed in collaboration with Saxion College (Enschede), Zadkine MBO (Rotterdam), MBO Rijnland (The Hague) and HKU (Utrecht). 

Contents: 

• Interactive PDF (for digital screens including videos) A guiding tool for teachers in a classroom environment. 
• Teachers Handbook (including lesson plans) A book of lesson plans, research trajectory and pedagogical structure.
• Podcast for teachers (available via links on spotify) Exploring the Dutch creative educational landscape with many guest speakers reflecting on the classroom of the future.
• Care Structure (set of cards to create a safe space in the classroom) A set of cards to facilitate a respectful environment for conversations and discussions.
• Visual Diary (for students) For students to keep track of their notes and answer fun quiz questions.

Acknowledgements:

The toolkit was made possible thanks to the support of FONDS 21.

Download the Toolkit here.