The Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (EAD) honored schools participating in the eighth edition of the Sustainable Schools Initiative (2017-2019) and handed over the awards to 33 public and private schools in Abu Dhabi in recognition of their environmental efforts and initiatives and their success in reducing their environmental footprint. 135 schools have submitted 521 projects through their environmental clubs.
The director of the environmental awareness department at the Authority, Khansaa Al-Balouki, said that the eighth session of the Sustainable Schools Initiative was attended by 135 schools, carried out 18,443 students and 1378 teachers, including 521 projects through environmental clubs. And 5424 students participated in 2210 field trips, which gave them practical experience on a wide range of environmental issues, highlighted the importance of environmental conservation, and added 3928 teachers to connect environmental concepts with the curriculum.
She emphasized that the Sustainable Schools Initiative has succeeded in providing an innovative model of education for sustainable development by empowering students, developing their skills and leadership abilities to meet the challenges of environmental sustainability, and providing a platform for addressing students, parents, teachers and school staff, Positive in their daily lifestyles for a sustainable future.
"This session of the Sustainable Schools Program focused on continuous innovation, where schools were given the opportunity to conduct self-assessment of their environmental performance electronically, and the initiative's website was developed to serve as a major source of access to information and sources of environmental education, To classify the environmental performance of schools, as well as the opportunity to report online.
The Foundation launched the Sustainable Schools Program in 2009 as a comprehensive school-wide initiative, aimed at students, teachers, parents and administrators, and connecting them all to society.
The main components of the program require the involvement of participating schools in reviewing their environmental impact, developing concrete practical objectives to address this impact, building faculty capacity to advance the environmental guidance and guidance burden through training courses, and establishing and managing environmental clubs in schools to build students' capacity to learn about issues Environmental impact of the curriculum, and exposure to practical field experience to better understand the environment.
Highlights
The most prominent sustainability practices achieved by participating schools in the eighth cycle of the Sustainable Schools Initiative include 67% of all participating schools transferring their waste to organic fertilizers, and more than 92% of the participating schools recycling their paper, plastic and mineral waste, while 88% Participate in the partial recycling of their waste. Sixty-five percent of the participating schools reused or recycled white and gray sewage, 60% used energy-efficient tools and technologies, 19% started using renewable energy, and 78% of the total number of students participated in joint-venture schools. Schools have grown local plants to increase green spaces, and 97% of participating schools have reduced their use of water to varying degrees, and 93% of participating schools have reduced the use of bottled water.
Khansaa Balooki:
"The Sustainable Schools Initiative focuses on innovation
And allow participating schools to carry out the assessment
Self-performance for their electronic environment ».