On March 7, 2025, we conducted the first Brainstorming Brunch of 2025. The Zarika team welcomed twelve volunteers from the Active Bulgarian Society organization in Blagoevgrad. Our guests were young people from all over Europe, highly motivated to discuss and explore ideas to solve the following challenge: “How might we empower one million young people to become sustainability ambassadors through non-formal education?”

The brainstorming rules

After great icebreakers aimed at stimulating our creativity, we started brainstorming in hyper-creative mode. A great icebreaker for creativity, and for breaking the ice between people who might not know each other well, is the improv game “I am a tree”.

For every brainstorming session, it is important to share the rules so everyone feels free to share their ideas. Here were the rules for the day, presented by our brainstorming facilitator, Mariana.

• Focus on quantity: The more, the better!
• Encourage wild ideas: No idea is ridiculous. The wilder, the better!
• Withhold criticism: Don’t criticize or judge others’ ideas. All ideas are welcome!
• Build on ideas from others: Use ideas from others as inspiration for new ones!

First Wave brainstorming

We had three brainstorming sessions because reaching the wildest ideas requires at least two sessions to harvest the low-hanging fruit that usually emerges first. So, for this wave, everyone wrote down each idea on a sticky note and put it on the board.

Dark Horse brainstorming

Dark Horse brainstorming comes from the Dark Horse prototyping method. It’s a method that opens the door to the wildest possible ideas, even the most unimaginable, like the huge, black wooden horse that hid a select force of men inside during the Trojan War. The powerful moment comes when these dark horse ideas become truly mind-blowing, when we transform the wildest ideas into realistic ones, and the hidden gem ideas come to life.

Round Robin

After the Dark Horse’s final stage, we conducted a wonderful team brainstorming exercise called Round Robin. Two groups of six people each had the opportunity to silently brainstorm in three steps. First, each team member described their idea. Second, the person to their right received their paper and gave feedback, sharing potential challenges and risks. Third, the person to their right received the paper with the initial idea and feedback, then wrote a new idea addressing those challenges and risks.

All of those steps happen sequentially. The best part of making a Round Robin is that the ideas become team ideas; everyone expresses themselves (in writing); and every idea is developed with more thought and detail.

Last but not least, this is how we started the brunch, trying various sweet and savory treats from a local bakery and finishing our hot and cold drinks.

Sustainability initiatives for a greener future

Here you can see the numerous ideas generated by the group. The challenges they tackled are the following:

• Pedal for the Planet: School Biking Challenge – A month-long inter-school cycling competition where students track their biking distances. The school with the highest total kilometers wins! Encourages eco-friendly transport, fitness, and teamwork.
• Eco-Summer Camp: Living in Harmony with Nature – A nature-immersed camp promoting sustainability through:
  • Simple, off-grid living
  • Vegan, zero-waste meals
  • Hands-on workshops on environmental conservation
• Schools for a Cleaner Future: Monthly Cleanup Drives – Every school organizes monthly cleanups of local parks, rivers, or public spaces. Afterward, students sort waste and participate in an educational seminar on environmental impact.
• Sustainability Awareness Campaigns – A series of interactive events showcasing the positive and negative effects of human impact on the planet. Features:
  • Documentary screenings
  • Creative competitions
  • Guest speakers from the sustainability field
• Food for All: Preventing Waste & Sharing Resources – Initiatives to tackle food waste through:
  • Redistribution of leftover food from restaurants & grocery stores
  • Discounts on items near expiration
  • Donations to those in need
  • Composting programs
• Plant-Powered Living: Awareness & Cooking Workshops – Educational sessions on the benefits of vegetarian/vegan diets, featuring:
  • Cooking classes
  • Science-backed nutrition talks
  • Community tasting events
• Turning Waste into Power: Food Biomass Recovery Centers – A system for collecting discarded food and converting it into biomass energy, reducing landfill waste and generating sustainable electricity.
• CO₂ Footprint Tracking & Incentives – Each resident logs their annual CO₂ emissions, and those who stay below a set quota receive tax benefits. A municipal effort to promote conscious consumption.
• Sustainability Education in Schools – Integrating sustainability into school curriculums through:
  • Investigating corporate environmental impact
  • Learning about sustainable diets
  • Recycling & upcycling projects
  • Organizing cleanup activities
• No More Fast Fashion: Supporting Slow & Local Brands – A movement against fast fashion, featuring:
  • Government-backed policies for sustainable brands
  • Promotion of ethical, locally-made clothing
  • Awareness campaigns on fashion waste
• National Sustainability Days – A nationwide celebration where people commit to one day of fully sustainable living:
  • Only vegetarian/vegan food
  • Flea markets & secondhand swaps
  • Car-free streets, biking encouraged
• A Future Without Waste: Smart Policies & Community Action – A push for stronger regulations and community-driven initiatives to:
  • Reduce plastic waste
  • Promote circular economy models
  • Support businesses that prioritize sustainability

In the end, after brainstorming, volunteers had the chance to take a cultural walk around Bansko Old Town, exploring the picturesque atmosphere, which evokes a sense of the past with its old stone roads and renovated houses that retain their traditional appearance. They also visited the snowy ski area, at the foothills of the overlooking majestic Pirin Mountains.