Schools rewarded for efforts to create sustainable environments

14 April 2005

The Enviroschools Canterbury Partnership has this week made its first awards to five of the schools which took part in the programme’s trial.

Enviroschools takes a whole-school approach to environmental education. Students develop skills, understanding, knowledge and confidence through planning, designing and creating a sustainable school. Projects have both environmental and educational outcomes that benefit the school and the wider community. 

The Enviroschools Awards are designed to provide an incentive for schools to become involved in sustainability education and undertake environmental initiatives. The awards will be made available to all schools in Canterbury later this year.

The five Canterbury schools which received Bronze Awards at a presentation on Wednesday, 13 April, are Cashmere Primary, Discovery One, Our Lady of Fatima, Ashburton Borough and North Loburn.

The Awards scheme aims to involve the whole school; students, teachers, non-teaching staff, trustees and members of the local community, with increasing participation as the school works across the three awards levels. 

By starting at the bronze level and working through the silver to green-gold, schools are progressively guiding the whole school community to adopt a sustainable lifestyle, one that will improve and enhance the environment for present and future generations.

Schools entered are assessed on their organisational management, operational practices, physical surroundings, living curriculum and regional lnks.

The Enviroschools Canterbury Partnership includes the Christchurch City Council, Christchurch College of Education, Department of Conservation, Environment Canterbury, Kidsfirst Kindergartens, Waimakariri District Council and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

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