Environmental Networking Platform for Children and Youth by SAMSUNG E&A
Stay connected with Eco-generation :
| Share 
| 
- Home >
- Our Actions >
- Ambassador report
2
Comments
Small acts, BIG impacts - Green living @ school. |
|---|
|
It's the time of the year where most of our sessions are about to end and students are already pre-planning what their going to do in their school and class next semester. Here are a few tips to have a greener school life -
1. Conduct an Energy Audit in the Classroom You don't have get too technical about energy use you can simply take stock of where and how you're using energy, by assessing where in the classroom energy is going (and being wasted). A simple energy audit can help out. How many lights are on? Is there heat or A/C? Do the computers get left on at night? Determine where you can cut back, then create a checklist your peers and school family can follow every day. Adjusting computer monitor settings, turning the lights off before recess, have a "lights-off" hour once per week, and so on can help raise awareness. 2. Calculate Your Carbon Footprint Carbon and environmental footprint calculators help us see how much impact we have on the world around us. If everyone in the world lived like we did, we'd need five planets worth of resources to sustain life as we need know it! Using these online tools as fun games can really drive home the point of what kind of impact each of us has. Learn about your environmental footprint and check out some of our favorite carbon footprint calculators. Then create a plan to reduce your group footprint. 3. Green Your Supplies in the Classroom Whether or not you have the support of your school, you can do your best to green your classroom supplies by choosing environmentally friendly new materials when possible, and also starting a classroom program to collect and reuse gently used supplies from past and present students. If possible, choose 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper. You can also make your own notebooks from old paper. 4. Start a Zero-Waste-in-the-Classroom Policy School-wide recycling is a brilliant move...but implementing can be tougher than teaching long division to an eight-year-old. If your school isn't recycling at-large, start a classroom-wide policy of "zero-waste." Set up recycling bins (teachers, students, and parents can volunteer to be responsible for removal), audit how much rubbish is created in a day. Sorting trash (it doesn't have to be gross) will help kids understand how much waste they are creating in a day, and where it's all coming from. Challenge kids to pack zero-waste lunches by using reusable bottles, containers, and satchels, rather than disposable ones. Competing with another classroom to see who can reduce their waste output most is a great way to create healthy competition and less waste.
5. 5.Bring Nature Indoors - whether you're in the city or the country, any classroom can bring plants into the mix. It's easy to build a self-watering plant container and get it growing right in the classroom. You can also bring experts in the classroom. Field trips can get complicated and expensive often nature centers, recycling facilities, and so on are willing to send volunteers or staff members to schools for in-house demonstrations. (Do tell me if you're working on more diverse ways through the comments so the others can see too! :D ) |
|
|
|
|
|
Previous : Land degradation in Nepal
2 Comments
Thanks for cool and simple tips , Shreya. Yes , these small acts on our part can lead to bigger impacts in reducing school's carbon footprint & making it clean and green school.
Posted 21-02-2015 23:38
Good tips presented just before the end of current school session & start of new academic year.
They are practical.
Thanks for the post Shreya.
Posted 21-02-2015 23:20