Anacarty NS
Green-Schools Programme
Anacarty National School has recently been awarded our 7th Green Flag. Congratulations to all the children and to our Green-Schools coordinator, Miss Anderson.
Promoting long-term, whole-school action for the environment Green-Schools is a student-led programme with involvement from the wider community. The programme is operated and coordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce.
The Green-Schools programme is a themed programme with schools initially focusing on the theme of Litter & Waste, and working through the seven steps for this theme before applying for the Green Flag. This themed structure is one of the key success factors of the programme, in that schools work through the seven steps one theme at a time.
The Green-Schools themes are:
1. Litter and Waste
Litter & Waste is the first theme. It focuses on litter and
waste issues, encouraging a sense of responsibility.
2. Energy
Energy looks at the steps which can be taken at school to
reduce energy consumption and raise awareness of climate change.
3. Water
This theme develops awareness around water conservation and
how to effectively manage this important resource in schools.
4. Travel
This theme aims to increase the number of students walking,
cycling, scooting, using public transport or carpooling to school.
5. Biodiversity
Biodiversity looks at increasing awareness in schools of the
importance of native plants, animals and habitats.
6. Global Citizenship - Litter and Waste
This theme enables schools to discover how work on Green-Schools
has positively influenced our global community.
7. Global Citizenship - Energy
This theme gives schools the chance to revise Energy and look at
issues surrounding energy use globally.
For a school to be working on the Energy theme they must have successfully completed the seven steps for Litter & Waste and achieved their Green Flag. Having successfully completed the Energy theme and renewed their Green Flag, the school moves on to the Water theme, and so on, with a new theme introduced after each successful renewal. This links very well with the renewal of the award every two years.
The use of themes helps prevent schools from trying to deal with every aspect of their environment at once which could be overwhelming. Furthermore, it allows schools to build on their experience, expertise and best practice as they work from theme to theme. However, as schools work from theme to theme they will realise that there is quite a bit of overlap between the themes. For example, recycling waste is great way of using less energy and water to produce new products.
For more information visit greenschoolsireland.org
