Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Holón
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This scientific research article presents the results of an investigation that designed and implemented an extension strategy in the rural community of Zayas in Batabanó (Mayabeque, Cuba), facing challenges such as inadequate waste management and low citizen participation in environmental protection, with the objective of strengthening collective environmental awareness to improve environmental management, increase community participation in conservation actions, and address significant environmental problems, using an approach from experiential to creative, based on participatory methodologies. The research was conducted during the 2024-2025 academic year, involving an intentional sample of 20 participants. Various methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and participant observation were used. The strategy was structured in four phases: participatory diagnosis, contextualized training, community action, and systematization, covering three dimensions of environmental awareness: cognitive, axiological, and procedural. The results show significant improvements in increased environmental knowledge; positive change in attitudes toward ecological co-responsibility; adoption of sustainable practices (such as recycling and water saving); activation of collaborative spaces for dialogue and transformation, thanks to university support and the integration of local knowledge. The experience offers a replicable model for territories with similar conditions, provided that community participation is strengthened and sustainable public policies are promoted.
