Eco Schools Program Training Workshop OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB Eco Schools Program Training Workshop 27th June 2012

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB Eco-Schools is a programme for environmental management and certification, designed to implement sustainable development education in schools by encouraging young people to take an active role in how their school can be run for the benefit of the environment. Eco-Schools is a programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education.

7 steps Eco School Methodology

Step 1: Eco Comittee Ensuring that the entire school is aware of the existence of the Eco-Schools programme and establish a robust communication structure to ensure regular updates. Develop, implement and monitor the school's environmental policy that addresses the environmental concerns of the school community. Take the lead in carrying out the initial and subsequent Environmental Reviews (Step 2 of the Eco-Schools Methodology). Ensure that all sectors of the school community (especially pupils) are represented in the decision-making process. Provide a link between pupils, teachers, senior management and the entire school community and, ideally, the Local Community, integrating the programme within the School Development Plan and the Local Agenda 21 initiatives of the local community. They have to meet atleast 8 times in a year

Step 2: Environmental Review Litter Waste Minimisation School Grounds Biodiversity Energy Water Transport Health & Well-Being Sustaining our World Nevertheless, the school is free to choose other areas of environmental concern that are more relevant to its needs and to devise appropriate checklists accordingly.

Step 3: Action Plan Based on the environmental review, develop an action plan. Here is a rough idea:- Gather the results from your Environmental Review. Pick out topics that you want to tackle, e.g. litter on school grounds. Decide what kind of action you can take to improve these issues. Decide how you will measure success in achieving your objectives. Make sure it is something that you can measure, e.g. if tackling energy your measure could be a reduction in the school's energy bills. Negotiate timescales for each action. Is the target action to be achieved in the short, medium or longer term? Decide who is to be responsible for each action. Wherever possible, this should involve pupils. Include a section for monitoring any financial costs you may incur with your activities.

Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluation We need to monitor our progress by implementing the action plans. Some ways are:- Measuring the school's global footprint - a wonderful way of producing real data to show how effective your actions have been. This can be done for one, or several, Eco-Schools topic areas, namely; Waste, Energy, Travel, and Water. Meter readings and calculation of energy bill savings - to show the effect of energy-saving action. Weighing/counting litter items or waste collected for recycling- to show the effects of litter/recycling initiatives. Before, during and after photographs - to show the progress of specific initiatives. Before and after species lists - to show the effect of biodiversity/school grounds developments. Using questionnaires and surveys to canvass opinions/record data.

Step 5: Curriculum Linking Besides increasing the status of the programme, linking Eco-Schools activities to the curriculum ensures that Eco-Schools is truly integrated within the school community. The general strategy suggested is that of infusing environmental education concepts into the already existing subjects and not that of presenting a new subject. In addition to increasing an awareness of the environment, the weaving of an environmental education dimension in a particular subject enriches the subject concerned and thus makes it more relevant and interesting.

Some ideas Languages discussing the various aspects of specific environmental issues report writing and keeping minutes during meetings writing letters to: politicians, education authorities, councillors, community leaders, newspaper editors, business persons, industrialists, etc. Mathematics designing and conducting surveys collating results and presenting them as graphs carrying out mathematical calculations managing finances Social Sciences reading/producing maps of the school and the locality and using keys to highlight important sites understanding how humans interact with their environment using photographs, documents, oral accounts and other sources of information to learn how certain places and lifestyles have changed throughout the years Natural Sciences making observations and gathering data about an environmental problem exploring various habitats and the adaptations of plants and animals living in them investigating different materials and how they are used looking at energy use, loss and conservation

Step 6: Informing and Involving Involving the whole school hold a school-wide election campaign for pupil representatives on the Eco-Schools Committee. dedicate school assemblies during which prospective pupil representatives can explain to the rest of the school why they are contesting the elections. publishing information gathered during the environmental review on the Eco-Schools notice board. The whole school can be kept updated regularly about the progress being made in addressing the targets set. hold school-wide surveys to gather information about the state of the school's environment. regularly utilise assemblies to launch Eco-Schools activities and to communicate any progress made. Children can be encouraged to utilise diverse presentation methods (e.g. drama, music, presentation software) to make their communication more effective. publish information about the Eco-Schools activities on the school's website (or in its absence ... produce an Eco-Schools website for the school). hold a school-wide competition for the wording and design of the school's Eco-Code. organise a yearly Eco-Schools celebration event during which the whole school can celebrate the success achieved during the year.

Involving the community produce a newsletter that regularly keeps parents updated about the Eco-Schools process. Copies of the newsletter can also be sent to other members of the community (e.g. local council, local businesses). send letters to local businesses seeking support for initiatives. ask resource people from the community to come to the school to give talks or offer help in particular tasks. hold press releases publicising Eco-Schools activities, research results and achievements. hold community-wide surveys to gather information about the environmental issues that are mostly relevant. disseminate the school's Eco-Code within the community. invite people from the community to attend the Eco-Schools celebration event.

Step 7: Eco Code The Eco-Code is a mission statement. It should demonstrate, in a clear and imaginative way, your school's commitment to improving its environmental performance. It should be memorable and familiar to everyone in the school. The Eco-Code should list the main objectives of your Action Plan, covering real actions that pupils and staff intend to carry out. It is crucial that pupils play a key role in the development of the eco-Code, as this will give them a greater sense of responsibility towards the values the Eco-Code represents. The content of the Eco-Code should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to reflect the school's eco aims and targets. The format of the Eco-Code is entirely up to the school. It could be a list of statements, an acrostic, song/rap or poem. The format should be appropriate for the age/ability of the pupils concerned. The Eco-Code should be prominently displayed throughout the school; i.e. in every classroom, in communal areas, on Eco Boards and in the staffroom. The Eco-Code could also be released to the local press and the general public.

THE GREEN FLAG!!  After one year of implementing the Programme and reaching a high level of performance in complying with these seven elements, among other mandatory criteria, Schools are then awarded the Green Flag.

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB The initiative’s main focus area will be climate change and work will be carried out according to the Eco-Schools seven step process and other Eco-Schools criteria. Schools can also choose to work on more specific areas of climate change, linking the main theme with others such as: • litter & waste • water • energy • transport • food • biodiversity

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB Eco Committee Eco Review Action Plan Monitoring Curriculum Informing and Involving Eco Code

OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL, SHARJAH (Boys’ Branch) ENVIRONMENT CLUB Our Own Boys’ Eco School Committee Auditing Group Taking record of energy bills Taking surveys, and inspections Volunteers Will do recycling and tabulation Join with Action Group to work out the plans Action Group Discuss the problems and also the audits Form Action Plans for solving those problems Divide works to the other groups Awareness Group Informing and involving Making announcements, etc This is not the final groups. A rough layout for you to understand.

Thank You