Green school (KA5030)
Funded by Karelia CBC 2014-2020

Objective of the project

Increasing positive impact of schools on the environmental awareness and promotion of green standards in the local communities.

Main activities

• Creating new tools for environmental education • Developing the model of Green school • Research of environmental issues in schools and local communities • Information campaign • Dissemination of the Green school model

Achievements

The project developed Green school model. Green school is a school addressing global environmental problems in the local community by education and practical youth-led action. During the project the Green school model was tested in 6 pilot schools (3 in Finland and 3 in Karelia Republic) and disseminated in the region. The Green school model includes the following changes in the school and in the local community: 1) The school itself becomes a model of environmentally-friendly organization: thanks to education, improvement of facilities and student-led actions the school reduce the ecological harm, apply modern policies of energy and water saving, recycling. 2) The teachers responsible for environmental education use modern teaching methods which are creating connections between personal action of a student and global environmental challenges. The students are actively involved in the environmental research and action. The project produced a special tool – Ecocase: it’s a suitcase with instructions and special tools for assessment of environmental problems of a building. For example, a thermal imager help students to find the places in school where the thermal energy is lost and then fix the problems found. The Ecocase was tested in 6 schools and 2 youth centers, produced and disseminated to 21 schools on the final stage of the project. 3) The students are motivated to bring modern environmental knowledge to their families and improve their households together with parents. Home research with the Ecocase gave practical exampe of such an action. 4) The schools bring modern environmental knowledge to the local communities. The student teams conducted environmental assessment of the local organizations using the Ecocase and reported on the found problems and proposed solutions. Participating in Green Week information campaign the schools reached more than 100 000 people with information on green standards and lifestyles. The main results of the project are: • The Ecocase produced in 28 copies and applied in the schools. Solar power station installed in the Matkachi educational center in Karelia Republic. • 1200 students benefited from new opportunities to participate in environmantal educational activities. • 17 schools arranged environmental research with use of the Ecocases in their schools, in community centers and in the households of the students. Improvements were done in 5 schools and 2 youth centers with support of the project. • Green Week - youth-led information campaign on promoting green standards in the local communities was organized with participation of 17 schools. 8700 people involved directly and 102 000 people informed by media and social networks. • 21 schools received the Ecocases on the final stage of the project. Representatives of new schools were trained during dissemination seminars. Brochure covering the Green school model was published in 2000 copies and placed in the Internet.