With over 500 young people already signed up for their circular economy contest, Green Fox is making waves in Armenia’s youth education scene. We asked the team to tell us about their innovative approach to teaching teens about sustainability through their superhero fox character and Telegram chatbots.
Text Photo : Innobiz
This seemingly endless verse profoundly illustrates the elegance of nature’s design. It symbolizes a healthy, self-sustaining cycle where every element plays a crucial role, ensuring nothing is wasted and life perpetually renews itself. At Green Fox, we are deeply inspired by this inherent wisdom. We aim to cultivate an understanding and foster behaviors that lead to a circular economy, helping our audience visualize and grasp these intricate connections with the same clarity and engaging simplicity found in this illustrative rhyme.
The name “Green Fox” carries symbolic weight. You might be surprised to learn that the fox is known for its role in maintaining forest hygiene by consuming carrion. We chose the fox as a symbol of nature’s inherent cleansing and balance. Besides, in folklore, the fox is often portrayed as clever, curious, and full of creative tricks, a perfect guide for exploring new approaches. The “Green” element, of course, represents an environmentally friendly attitude and our commitment to a sustainable future.
“I knew right away our Fox had to vibe with the youth while also guiding them through this new topic. So we gave it a twist, and SuperFox in a cape was born!—says Marie Teroyan, the creator of the Green Fox Character.
Our current focus is on youth, because the values we instill today shape the leaders and citizens of tomorrow. We see the circular economy not just as a system, but as a mindset, a way of thinking that challenges habits, reimagines waste, and redefines value. Young people aged 15 to 20, with their openness to new ideas and their instinct for change, are uniquely positioned to become powerful ambassadors for this transformation. Their influence extends beyond personal choices: we believe they will be tomorrow’s creators, innovators, and decision makers.
Elina Simonyan “Innobiz” NGO Co-Founder Marie Teroyan Volunteer, the creator of the Green Fox Character Tatevik Adamyan “Contests’ Lab” educational NGO President
“Green Fox is a super fun and meaningful initiative that builds an ecosystem around the circular economy. It uses smart and flexible tools to spark curiosity and creativity in young people. The contest format encourages them to take initiative and explore new ideas, and we’re pretty sure it’s going to make a real impact on how youth understand and engage with the circular economy.” Notes Gevork Poghosyan, CEO of Impact Hub Yerevan.
Innobiz consistently stands out for our innovative and effective approaches to education, capacity building, and awareness. Our philosophy of continuous improvement, marked by constant testing and refining methodologies, culminated in the Innobiz Academy in 2024. This program currently engages over 1900 learners, making it Armenia’s largest non-formal educational initiative. The resounding success and high demand for our programs stem from unparalleled precision in targeting: we meticulously identify our audience, ensuring every detail of our approach serves that precise target with maximum impact.
“We chose a contest-style format to make learning about the circular economy fun and engaging for Youth,” explains Elina Simonyan, Co-Founder of Innobiz. “It encourages them to test their knowledge, challenge their peers, and truly understand the power they hold to make a positive impact on the planet.”
Building on the Innobiz. With academy experience, a series of short educational videos on the circular economy will be available online, allowing participants to learn at their own pace and according to their preferences. Once completed, they’ll enter the competition phase via a custom-built Telegram chatbot, designed specifically for this contest by our good partner Contests’ Labs.
“We decided to meet youth where they hang out and use the platforms they enjoy,” says Tatevik Adamyan, the CEO of Contests’ Lab, the official organizer and representative of various international and local competitions for schoolchildren and teens, such as Kangaroo, World Robot Olympiad, Meghu (Bee), and so on. “With AI rapidly evolving, we saw an opportunity to make learning more engaging and fun, so we developed this contest through a chatbot to speak their language and spark curiosity.”
We’ve already received over 400 applications, so to prepare the participants for the learning experience and the contest itself, we launched “Green Fox – Green Talks” in our Telegram channel. Through this interactive space, young people explore solutions, share their experiences with responsible practices, and take on mini-quests, like finding repurposed products or repaired goods and sending in photos. The level of excitement and engagement is incredibly high, and we’re thrilled to see this model truly resonate with Youth.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to gain new knowledge, presented in such an engaging and unique way. The victory was completely unexpected. When the results were announced, I was so happy, I couldn’t sleep the whole night. It was truly a motivating and inspiring experience. I promise to be a fast and proactive Green Fox in my turn,” shares first prize winner Yeva Hayrapetyan.
This is the Fox,
That ate the hare,
That munched the carrot,
That grew from the soil,
Enriched by the remains
Of the Fox…
That ate the hare,
That munched the carrot,
That grew from the soil,
Enriched by the remains of the Fox…
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