"Picobello" with heart: FGTS Primary School Bexbach honored – a donation becomes a playbench
For their participation in the statewide environmental campaign "Saarland picobello" and their special commitment, the FGTS Primary School Bexbach was awarded. Mayor Christian Prech and EVS Managing Director Holger Schmitt presented the award on June 16, 2026, in the schoolyard. The institution is operated by the Society for Training and Continuing Education Saarpfalz-Kreis (GAW).
„Saarland picobello“ is the annual area cleanup campaign of the Saar Waste Management Association (EVS): schools, daycare centers, clubs, and citizens throughout Saarland come together to collect trash and debris in their towns, along paths, and in nature. The campaign combines practical environmental protection with raising awareness of the importance of clean public spaces for the community.
During the collection campaign, the primary school students of the FGTS were highly committed – and even a child from the community school joined the primary school children and helped enthusiastically. In recognition of their dedication, the institution received a bench and, together with the entire school community, turned it into something special: a play bench. The principle is as simple as it is effective: anyone who sits on the bench signals that they are looking for a playmate. Other children see this and can join in. This way, a piece of furniture becomes a place of encounter that brings children together and leaves no one alone.
"We are very pleased about this award. Our children enthusiastically pitched in and experienced that environmental protection starts right on their doorstep," says Anastasia Nikiforova, head of the FGTS elementary school in Bexbach. "That the bench has become an interactive bench makes us especially proud. It stands for exactly what is important to us: responsibility for the environment and a mindful togetherness where no child is left alone."
As a sponsor, the GAW supports the educational and care work at the FGTS Elementary School Bexbach and shares the joy of the award with the school community. The FGTS Elementary School Bexbach demonstrates with the participation bank how environmental commitment and social interaction can be combined – and how a litter collection campaign can become a lasting symbol of unity at the school.
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Caption: "Picobello" with frog: from left to right Konstantin Glück, Fabienne Becker, Kirstin Brunk-Schäfer, Holger Schmitt, Anastasia Nikiforova, Christian Prech
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