On May 29th Lifetime Lab hosted the award ceremony of “Green Schools” programme. Students from over 70 primary, secondary and special schools all over Munster received their “Green Flag” for successfully completing the scheme.

Green-Schools , known internationally as Eco-Schools, is an international environmental education programme , environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole school action for the environment. The aim of Green-Schools is to increase students’ and participant awareness of environmental issues through classroom studies and to transfer this knowledge into positive environmental action in the school and also in the wider community. It fosters a strong sense of citizenship and leadership among participants that spreads far outside the school into the wider community. The programme also promotes a strong sense of teamwork among teachers, students and the wider community to reach a common high level goal. It flattens and democratises school management structures, brings children into the decision-making process and makes them responsible for their decision and actions. In fact it could be best described as being ‘more than the sum of its parts’.

L-R Pictured are Gaelscoil Na Teaghlaigh Naofa receiving their Green Flag pupils James Ó Conaill, Antóin Trindle, Jessica Ní Arrachtáin, Ciara Ní Cheitinn and Sinéadín Ní Chába.Back row: Kevin Ryan, Cork City Council, Máirín Tobin (Principal) and Seán Ó Fathaigh (4th class teacher).

Green-Schools is a themed programme with schools initially focusing on the theme of Litter & Waste, and working through the seven steps for this theme and applying for the Green-Flag. Once successful, the school moves onto the Energy theme, and then onto the Water theme
Over 2,600 primary, secondary and special schools in Ireland are currently taking part in the programme and over 1000 have been awarded the Green Flag. The Irish Green-Schools programme is one of the most successful internationally; one of the main factors is the partnership between the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and Local Authorities.

Further information is available at www.greenschoolsireland.org