SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS An initiative byIn partnership with Sponsored by A Practitioner’s Perspective 12 th October, 2012 Educating For Sustainability

PAGE 2 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI MOVING FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION Sameera Awadh Al Braiki Al Taleah School Al Ain, UAE Sumaia Khalil El Hibr Qatr Al Nada School Madinat Zayed, UAE Kala Krishnan Abu Dhabi Indian School Abu Dhabi, UAE

PAGE 3 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI ABU DHABI : LAND OF THE GAZELLE PEARL OF THE UAE hot and dry – with temperatures touching 50˚C in the interior regions during the summer formed on 2nd December 1971 grown from a traditional to a global economy in 4 decades population – has increased from 178,600 in 1968 to 7.89 million ( 2011)

PAGE 4 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI Unprecedented Growth – Increasing pressure on resources High per capita income

PAGE 5 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI ARE WE SUSTAINABLE ? WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT ? 3 rd highest ecological footprint Government’s Vision Towards Development – balancing economic growth with environmental protection Proof - High investment in renewable energy – solar power despite being rich in oil reserves Implementation of Vision 2030 – with society’s cooperation 25% of population are students at school Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi along with Abu Dhabi Education Council ‘s New School Model implemented the Sustainable Schools Initiative to promote ’ Learning by doing ‘

PAGE 6 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI Reaching out to the community to share and learn from best practice Better environment education delivery. Embedding environment education into curriculum Assessing School’s environmental impact and addressing it Experiential learning. Exposure to ‘hands on ‘ field education Outdoor Field trips Green Audit Eco Club Training of Trainers 4 pillars of Sustainable Schools Initiative

PAGE 7 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI ABU DHABI INDIAN SCHOOL A private Indian community school with about 7000 boys and girls from Kindergarten- Grade 12 Running an Eco Club since 1992, but focused on raising awareness Have been part of the SSI since 2009 Awards won: Best Water Manager ( 2009), Best Green Audit (2009) and 2011; Most Effective Training of Teachers (2010), Silver Award for Most Sustainable School (2011)

PAGE 8 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI HOW DID WE CONDUCT THE AUDIT AND WHAT MADE IT SO SPECIAL ? Formed teams including mgt. and support staff Collected data from various sources Analyzed the data Calculated Env. impact through hands on activities Integrated it with the curriculum Water, Waste, Energy, Land Audit

PAGE 9 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI WHAT DID WE GAIN FROM BEING A PART OF THE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE? Lessons learnt Measuring env. impact is doable, even without sophisticated equipment Ecological footprint is high, but handprint can be improved too Pedagogical values Enhances concepts learnt in class. Multi disciplinary approach to integration in curriculum Gives students hands on experience of env. issues Skills developed Problem solving skills Critical thinking Ability to troubleshoot, identify areas to address, set realistic targets to mitigate use of resources

PAGE 10 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI QATR AL NADA GIRLS’ SCHOOL Grades taught: Kindergarten - Grade12 Details of Students: 740 in number, mostly nationals Participated in SSI from 2009 Awards won: -Best Managers of Land for 2009, Best Community Outreach for 2 successive years 2010, 2011

PAGE 11 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI EXTERNAL PROJECT Collecting and segregating pharmaceutical waste

PAGE 12 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI INTERNAL PROJECT Collecting pigeon poop to use as fertilizer Using school made fertilizer to grow fruits

PAGE 13 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI What value did we gain by being a part of this Initiative ? Students learnt to: Investigate – write reports and engaged in discussion about possible solutions Contribute actively towards environmental protection through their project - - promoting safe disposal of pharmaceutical waste Mainstreamed efforts from the Special Needs schools into their waste recycling projects Greatly enhanced awareness among the local community Enhanced their skills regarding safe storage and disposal of chemical waste Multisource their education from the community, besides their teachers

PAGE 14 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI AL TALEAH GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL Details of the students: 380 national students Participated in Sustainable Schools Initiative since 2009 Awards won: -Most Effective Environment Educators Most Sustainable School Award in Best Green Audit Best Manager Air

PAGE 15 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI OUR SPECIALTY - INTEGRATING EE WITH CURRICULUM

PAGE 16 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI HELPING IN CAPACITY BUILDING OTHER SCHOOLS BY SHARING OUR TRAINING

PAGE 17 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI INTEGRATING FIELD TRIPS WITH CURRICULUM AND NETWORKING WITH COMMUNITY

PAGE 18 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY – ABU DHABI WHAT VALUE DID WE GAIN BY BEING A PART OF THIS INITIATIVE ? Teachers: Learnt creative ways to impart environment education Students: Learnt to investigate environmental issues problem solving skills became ambassadors of the environment urged need for sustainability to family and community

SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS An initiative by In partnership with Sponsored by Awareness to Action October, 2012 Educating for Sustainability