PRESS RELEASE FROM CLAPHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL
Local MP Martin Hamilton-Smith to announce Clapham Primary is the first South Australian school to sign up for Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools Australia was launched by Keep Australia Beautiful in May last year, and already more than 60 Australian schools have signed up to the international environmental education awards program.
Local MP Martin Hamilton-Smith will announce this evening that Clapham Primary School is the first South Australian school to join the programme.
Eco-Schools is a 7-Step sustainable school framework and award accreditation program that enables schools to be recognised for their ongoing contributions to sustainability within the school and their local community. It is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world and is operated globally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
“I congratulate the school, parents and their children for embracing this initiative,” local MP Martin HamiltonSmith said. “It engages children in a broader view of how their lives fit into their environment whilst assisting their education.
“This a positive move by Clapham Primary and we’re all very proud that the children and teachers here are the first school in South Australia to get on board the Eco-Schools program.”
Clapham’s principal Grant Ind said “We have a student community that is actively embracing environmental and health initiatives, and a large grounds that will provide a solid base for the implementation of the EcoSchools program. Everyone at Clapham Primary is excited to be joining the programme, and especially excited that we are the first school in South Australia to get on board.”
“Eco-Schools is an internationally recognized and proven programme that encourages collaboration throughout the school community to improve the school’s environmental performance and reduce its footprint, and it has demonstrated the capacity to improve participation in all areas of the curriculum and generate improved learning outcomes”
Clapham has recently developed an open air classroom within a native garden area, alongside a series of garden beds that are maintained by students from each classroom on a roster basis. The school has also introduced a composting program, four worm farms are located around the school, and outdoor play areas are being installed that feature natural elements to encourage environmental exploration.
A new Eco-Committee has been formed by the students to incorporate these developments and other initiatives being pursued by the student community into the Eco-Schools programme. The school will then start working towards the Bronze and Silver Awards, and then the Green Flag, which is an internationally acknowledged symbol for environmental excellence.
Eco-Schools is designed to be a long-term programme, helping schools to establish a framework within which to continually progress.
Peter McLean, CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful National Association said “Eco-Schools is the vehicle of environmental education to increase our awareness and promote actions to mitigate the many environmental problems that we face, both locally and globally.”
“We welcome Clapham Primary on board, and look forward to presenting them with their first award.”
Eco-Schools aims to empower students to be the change our sustainable world needs by engaging them in fun, action-orientated learning and has been running for 20 years, now in over 55 counties with 45,000 schools participating. Schools looking for more information can head to the Eco-Schools Australia website at eco-schools.org.au or contact Keep Australia Beautiful National Association.
About
Eco-Schools is a programme for environmental management and certification, designed to implement sustainable development education in schools by encouraging children and youth to take an active role in how their school can be run for the benefit of the environment. It employs a holistic, participatory approach, combining learning and action, thus providing an effective method for improving the environments of schools and producing actual awareness raising and behavioural change in young people, school staff, families, and communities.
Keep Australia Beautiful is Australia’s leading grassroots environment organisation, with more than 45 years’ experience in changing behaviours and attitudes concerning litter and recycling. It does so through community engagement, partnerships, education and ensuring that the community also takes its share of the responsibility for improvement. Keep Australia Beautiful is Australia’s largest face to face schools environmental education service provider teaching more than 70,000 students each year. KABNA is an associate member of FEE, which makes it eligible to be the national operator for Eco-Schools and other FEE programmes. KABNA has been delivering environmental education in schools for over 2 decades, this includes face to face workshops, tailored year round activities and excursions. This impact is leaving a strong legacy of more environmentally aware and responsible young adults.
About FEE
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-government, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education. FEE is an international umbrella organisation with one national member organisation per country representing FEE on the national level and in charge of implementing FEE programmes nationally. Eco-Schools is one of their programs. FEE currently has 81 member organisations in 68 countries worldwide. As of October 2013, KABNA became Associate Member of FEE, and the National Operator of FEE programmes for Australia.
Eco-Schools Sponsors
The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) is a sustainable packaging initiative which aims to change the culture of business to design more sustainable packaging, increase recycling rates and reduce packaging litter. It is an agreement between government, industry and community groups to find and fund solutions to address packaging sustainability issues. The Danks Trust provides grants to charitable organisations or projects that fit the categories of religion, education and/or the relief of poverty. For more than eight years, The Wrigley Company Pty Ltd has been a proud long term partner of environmental education agencies across Australia and New Zealand including, Keep Australia Beautiful. With a long-standing commitment to environmental responsibility and leadership around the globe, Wrigley committed to high standards of quality, efficiency, conservation and safety. (ENDS)
Contact Details Media comment: Stacey Passey, KAB, 0419 016 401 Clapham Primary School Contacts: Grant Ind, Principal, 08 8276 5633 Gareth Lott, Governing Council, 0404 887 666