Una Escuela Sustentable: A visionary model in education

Una Escuela Sustentable in Jaureguiberry, Uruguay, is one of those ideas that feels almost too ambitious to work. A rural public school made out of old tires and bottles, that runs on solar power, collects rainwater, and even grows its food? Yet here it is, since 2016, not just working but thriving. This school is a statement. Every inch of it, from the recycled walls to the flourishing edible garden, tells you: “We can do better.” It all started because two people, Michael Reynolds and Martín Espósito, looked at the world and saw possibilities where others saw limits.

Image credit: Presidencia Uruguay

Michael Reynolds, a maverick architect from the United States, has been building homes out of things most of us toss out—like tires and cans—since the ’70s. Known as “The Garbage Warrior,” after the documentary that chronicles his life and work, Reynolds has refined his Earthship Biotecture, as he named his buildings, into self-sufficient spaces that function like small ecosystems (Russell, 2007). Over the years, he has addressed six core aspects of sustainable living: food, energy, clean water, shelter, sewage treatment, and waste repurposing. These homes are constructed with natural and recycled materials, rely on passive heating and cooling systems, and incorporate solar and wind energy production. These systems minimize environmental impact (Earthship Biotecture, n.d.). He’s taken this concept all over the world.

Then came Martín Espósito, who, along with five other friends, co-founded the Uruguayan NGO Tagma. He had a wild thought: why not a school? When he learned about Earthships, he saw an opportunity to not only build a sustainable school but to create an education model rooted in action and community (Tagma, n.d.).

The school’s walls, made of 2,000 tires, are practical, keeping the classrooms cool during the summer and warm on colder days. Glass bottles let sunlight stream in, and solar panels handle all the energy. The water system is also sustainable — rain is collected, filtered, and reused. Even wastewater keeps the garden growing. Nothing here goes to waste.

Image credit: Presidencia Uruguay

The garden is not just for show. The space is designed so that some plants can grow under the glass windows, where they can soak up long hours of sun and warmth. Outside, native flora embellishes the landscape. Fruit trees like Guayabo del País, Butiá, and Pindó provide delicious fruits and colorful, fragrant flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The vegetable and herbs garden is the centerpiece of this dreamy place. Besides math and geometry, students also spend hours here every day, planting seeds, watering crops, and eventually harvesting vegetables and fruits. Then they bring their harvest into the classroom, where they learn everything about it. In a special class called Talleres del Gusto (flavor workshops), taught by educator and chef Laura Rossano, a referent in the agroecological movement and Slow Food in Uruguay, students learn how to turn their produce into nutritious and tasty meals. For many of these kids, it’s the first time they’ve seen the full cycle of food—now it’s grown, prepared, and sustains them. Not from a grocery store, but from the ground and by their own effort.

Learning to produce seeds and food is a revolutionary act that fights dependency—the need to rely on others to fulfill something as fundamental as nourishment. It is also a stand against hunger. At the same time, it is a way to preserve the rich diversity of Latin American food heritage, a treasure these young students safeguard and share with their community. The school follows the Mexican milpa tradition of growing maize by intercropping it with squash and beans. Native corn species, or maíz criollo, like Avatí Moroti, Cuarentón, and Catete, take center stage here. According to a recent study on the history of maize in the lowlands of Latin America, Uruguay has 10 recognized corn races and nearly 80 varieties of native maize (UTEC, n.d.). Students also learn to plant and harvest using the lunar calendar cycle.

By preserving these varieties, the school stands up against the monoculture of genetically modified (GMO) maize, a cornerstone of the agro-industrial model in the region. Maize and its derivatives have long been a vital food source for Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Natalia de Almeida emphasizes the impact that preserving maíz criollo varieties has in different spheres: by using agroecological methods to preserve and reproduce them, they inherently respect human and agro-ecosystem health. Students carry the responsibility to preserve the genetic heritage too.

This hands-on learning goes beyond food. Students see how the systems around them work—
how rainwater is collected, how solar energy powers their classrooms. They’re not just learning sustainability; they’re living it.

Uruguay faces a pressing challenge: 41% of children are overweight (UNICEF, 2023), much of it caused by ultra-processed food and a sedentary lifestyle. These lessons on sustainability and healthy living couldn’t come at a better time. It’s not just about the environment—it’s about health, habits, and rethinking the way they live. Students aren’t the only ones benefiting. These lessons are making their way into homes, shared with parents and siblings. Public education in Uruguay is fee-free, so access to this knowledge is not restricted to only those who can afford to pay for it. It’s small, but it’s a start. Change doesn’t have to happen all at once.

Building the school wasn’t easy. While construction took only 45 days, months of preparation went into the project. The community came together, collecting thousands of tires, bottles, and cans. Over 200 volunteers from 30 countries joined in to help. This wasn’t just a construction project—it was a collective effort. Private and governmental initiatives also supported the project.

The rural school Nº 294, also known as Una escuela sustentable (a sustainable school), belongs to the public schooling system of the country and became a cornerstone, inspiring the creation of six more public sustainable schools in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. Each one is adapted to its local setting, but the message is the same: education can be a force for change.

Of course, not everyone believed in the idea at first. Projects like this always face skepticism. Would it work? Would it last? Funding was also an uphill battle. But here it is—a school that proves what’s possible when people believe in something bigger: building a better future

So, what is Una escuela sustentable really about? It’s about showing that schools don’t have to follow the same old blueprint. They can teach kids—and communities—to think differently, to dream bigger. And maybe to build a better future.

References

Earthship Biotecture. (n.d.). About Earthship. Retrieved from https://earthship.com/about/

Russell, O. (Director). (2007). Garbage warrior [Film]. Open Eye Media.

Tagma. (n.d.). Tagma: Educación sostenible. Retrieved from https://www.tagma.uy

UNICEF. (2023). Obesidad infantil: Comentarios y recomendaciones para atender una
enfermedad demasiado extendida. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/

UTEC. (n.d.). La historia del maíz en Uruguay y las variedades de la región: Investigadora
de UTEC participó de trabajo que reunió esta evidencia de Latinoamérica. Retrieved from
https://utec.edu.uy/es/noticia/la-historia-del-maiz-en-uruguay-y-las-variedades-de-la-region-
investigadora-de-utec-participo-de-trabajo-que-reunio-esta-evidencia-de-latinoamerica/

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Sofía María Rojas Vera is a student in the Master’s Program Communication and Society in Ibero-America

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