Local 4 Global

Sustainable Schools Conference

 

For nearly five years now GEMK has been running a project to encourage schools in Milton Keynes to become more sustainable. GEMK has been using this approach to engage the schools on the project with global issues and encourage teachers to talk with their pupils on a daily basis about how their lives interact with those of others around the world.

Every two years children from the schools on the project are invited to meet each other at a sustainable schools conference. The latest conference happened on a cold day in March when over 270 pupils from 12 schools converged on a theme park in Milton Keynes to find out, through a day of fun activities, what they can do to help our planet. Based around the eight doorways, the activities invited the children to explore issues such as building a sustainable community and why fair-trade is beneficial.

Why do we do it?

GEMK believes in engaging children from the age of 5 in a fun way at the conference with the issues that face them in our global world today. Each school was asked to bring to the conference a five minute presentation to explain some aspect of sustainability that they had undertaken in their school, ensuring that the pupils had thought about some of the issues before they came. The pupils are encouraged to take the messages back to their schools, informing other pupils and taking ownership of actions that the schools take after the conference.

... and the results?

So far this approach seems to be working - the number of schools following the sustainable schools project is growing yearly!

Jane Bidgood, GEMK, March 2008