To slow down climate change, both adults and kids need to become more environmentally friendly and think more about the world around them. How can we get kids to do things other than watch TV and play video games? How can we teach them to be good citizens and care about the environment?
Companies often have policies about the environment, such as recycling old paper and ink cartridges and putting stickers on light switches to remind people to turn off the lights. Companies are also making more of an effort to become Fairtrade Workplaces by agreeing to buy only Fairtrade tea, coffee, and sugar. But this is for grown-ups. What about kids?
Well, the Eco-Schools Program makes schools a more interesting place to learn about eco issues, and the schools will be able to reduce their impact on the environment at the school, in the wider community, and in their own homes.
Once the school is registered, it will be part of a group of schools around the world that are working on education for sustainable development and a better quality of life for people everywhere. This global development perspective will help them understand poverty and appreciate the work that Live Aid and international charities like Oxfam and the Red Cross do.
The Eco-Schools programme gives schools a simple way to look at how they run and make changes to make them more environmentally friendly. A little bit like re-engineering a company's business, but in bite-sized pieces.
A big part of the Eco-Schools programme is getting students involved. When students are involved in the whole process, including monitoring, action planning, and making decisions, they feel more like they own the programme and are more responsible for their school and neighbourhood.
There is also an award programme that will make the school better known in the community and give people a reason to join. When schools reach award level, they can also be featured in local and regional news.
There are three types of awards:
- Green Flag: an outside group evaluates it and gives it a certificate and flag
- Silver award: self-evaluation through a website, which leads to a certificate
- Bronze award—self-evaluation on a website that leads to a certificate
The Foundation for Environmental Education is in charge of Eco-Schools all over the world (FEE). In England, it is run by ENCAMS, and in Northern Ireland, it is run by Tidy Northern Ireland. Eco-Schools get help from a lot of different partners.
Organic Issues
If the school also wants to learn about organic issues, the Soil Association runs a Food for Life workshop at interested schools. This workshop encourages the use of organic and local food in school meals. It is a one-day workshop for students in the second key stage. It is run by the education branch of the Soil Association. Through the theme of choices, the workshop gives kids a chance to think about healthy eating, local food, and organic food.
Schools also need to know how to find healthy food for school meals in a good way. Schools can help kids eat better and learn more about food by taking them to farms and doing activities in the classroom. Wouldn't it be great if every school had a garden so that kids could see that food doesn't just come in packages or magically appear in stores?
