The Association “Friends of Education,” as part of the “School Plastic Free Movement” project, supported by the Erasmus+ KA3 program of the European Union, held a national competition from January 23, 2023, to May 31, 2023. The competition was open to students from first to ninth grade, along with their class and subject teachers from primary and special primary schools across the Republic of North Macedonia.

Seven primary schools participated in the competition, which was aimed at research teams consisting of five students and one teacher from a single class. Their project activities were evaluated by an international jury of proven educational experts involved in the “School Plastic Free Movement” project.

The European jury, composed of representatives from Eurpole (Italy), Friends of Education (N. Macedonia), the Regional Directorate of Education Castilla y Leon – JCYL (Spain), Panevezys Provincial Educational Centre – PRSC (Lithuania), Make it Better – MiB (Portugal), the Turkish Ministry of National Education (Turkey), and the University of Burgos (Spain), awarded schools that played a significant role in the fight against plastic pollution with a STEM set, Scientific Discovery.

**CONGRATULATIONS** to all the awarded students and teachers 🏆

🏅 Primary School “Zhivko Brajkovski” – Hava Saracini 

🏅 Primary School “Vera Jocik” Skopje – Biljana Lazarevska 

🏅 Primary School “Grigor Prlichev” Ohrid – Marina Tanasoska 

🏅 Primary School “7 Marsi,” Chelopek, Municipality of Brvenica – Toni Todorovski 

🏅 Primary School “7 Marsi,” Chelopek, Municipality of Brvenica – Daniela Todorovska 

🏅 Primary School “7 Marsi,” Chelopek, Municipality of Brvenica – Marija Petrovska Grozdanovska 

🏅 Primary School “St. Kliment Ohridski” Bitola – Violeta Stevanovska and Gordana Anastasova 

🥇 The first-place winning school is **Primary School “Grigor Prlichev” Ohrid**, where five students, along with their teacher, will travel to Verona, Italy, to share their experiences with the first-place winners from other European countries.

A special thanks to Prof. Dr. Aneta Shterjoska for her support and involvement on the European board and jury committee.