Eco-Schools is an international award program that guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a simple framework to help make sustainability an integral part of school life. Eco-Schools can help enhance the curriculum and get the whole school united behind something important. Their mission is to help make every school in the country sustainable and to bring about behavior change in young people and those connected to them so that good habits learned in schools are followed through into homes and communities. Once registered, schools follow a simple seven-step process which helps them to address a variety of environmental themes, ranging from litter and waste to healthy living and biodiversity. In Slovenia, the Eco-Schools program has been carried out in the frames of the DOVES-FEE Slovenia association since 1996. In the 2013/2014 school year, 717 institutions from all over Slovenia were participating in the program.
Service / Process - To understand the environmental content, a comprehensive approach that contributes to increasing awareness and a responsible attitude to the environment is very important. The activities are divided into themed frameworks to enable the easier implementation of the eco-activities plan, and the easier incorporation of activities into the school curriculum.
Organisational / Business model - The Eco-Schools methodology encompasses Seven Steps that any school can adopt. The process involves a wide range of stakeholders, but pupils play the central role. After a period of participation, an evaluation of the success of these initiatives and the methodology is undertaken, and the whole Eco-Schools programme for each school is assessed.The methodology is comparable to the environmental management system according to the ISO standard 14001.
SI Objectives
A comprehensive approach to dealing with the contents and systematic work plan.
Improved environmental activities of an institution.
Practical and simple solutions to various environmental questions and topics that enable tangible improvements and savings (less water consumption, less end waste and similar things).
Network of regional coordinators, who visit the institutions, answer questions and take care of information flow.
Clear and practical web eco-application: plan registration, searching for examples of good practice, progress following.
Permanent education and professional support for mentors, fee free participation in the annual conference, regional meetings and professional education.
International participating and networking through the Eco-Schools Connect international web eco-application.
Connecting children, young people and mentors with parents, the local community and professionals.
The promotion of an institution and participants: free of charge presentations at chosen events and fairs, media support at the local and national level and in the professional media.
Material and financial awards for winning products, enabled by supporting partners.
SI Origin
In Slovenia, the Eco-School program sees the participation of more than 132,000 children, pupils, secondary and post-secondary school students, and 8600 educators, teachers and professors (eco-coordinators), mentors and project leaders. And the number of institutions taking part is growing larger every year as well. In the 2013/2014 school year, 717 institutions from all over Slovenia were participating in the program. The Eco-Schools programme performance in Slovenia is organized on the basis of a network. Activities are coordinated and reconciled at the national level, while coordinators chosen according to the institution type and theme framework ensure undisturbed project work, cooperate with the coordinators of individual institutions, direct them and take care of the information and knowledge flow. Besides this, a network of regional coordinators was established to ensure permanent support for activities realization according to the 7 steps methodology.
SI Factors of success
Technological - Clear and practical web eco-application: plan registration, searching for examples of good practice, progress following.
Economic - Cooperation with individuals, companies and organizations in various fields: visiting production plants, waste management centers, outdoor classrooms in the countryside and similar.
Environmental - To understand the environmental content, a comprehensive approach that contributes to increasing awareness and a responsible attitude to the environment is very important.
Social - Connecting children, young people and mentors with parents, the local community and professionals.
Sources
Primary - The Eco-Schools programme encourages connecting and cooperating with individuals and with organizations outside institutions that can contribute to the most productive results of young people’s activities and their mentors in their local environment or beyond:
- Eco - Committee,
- parent’s council,
- local community representatives,
- professional organizations,
- interest organizations and local associations
- companies and other organizations.
Secondary - To understand the environmental content, a comprehensive approach that contributes to increasing awareness and a responsible attitude to the environment is very important. The activities are divided into themed frameworks to enable the easier implementation of the eco-activities plan, and the easier incorporation of activities into the school curriculum:
- waste
- water
- energy
- sustainable mobility
- health and well-being
- school surroundings
- biodiversity
- preserving our planet and
- more.
