For Schools

Enviroschools is a growing network of schools and communities in New Zealand and internationally who want to make a positive difference to our environment.  Schools create an environmental pathway and then move along that chosen pathway.  Each school starts from a unique place and each school’s journey is different.

What are the Enviroschools Awards about?

The Enviroschools Awards is an evolving framework, providing a structure and a set of tools for reflection, acknowledging progress and celebrating student-led action. 

The Awards framework encourages schools to consider the five Enviroschools Guiding Principles and four key areas of a school life at all stages of the Awards.

The Enviroschools Guiding Principles are:

• Sustainable Communities
• Empowered Students
• Maori Perspectives
• Learning for Sustainability and
• Respect for Diversity of People and Cultures. 

The four key areas of school life that have an effect on sustainability and student learning are: 

• Place/Wahi (physical surroundings)
• Practices/Tikanga (operational practices)
• Programmes/Kaupapa Ako (living curriculum) and
• People and Participation/Tangata (organisational management).

A school’s Awards documentation shows how these aspects of the Enviroschools Kaupapa are present in their planning, learning and action.  This provides a flexible means for students and the school community to engage in reviewing their progress, and then sharing their findings with others from the wider Enviroschools network.

The Awards have four stages: 

• Bronze
• Silver
• Green Gold and
• Beyond Green Gold
  

What is the purpose of the Enviroschools Awards Framework?

• The Awards framework can act as a prompt for schools to reflect, review and plan next steps.
• The Awards framework is a way to acknowledge a school’s journey and to recognise the ways in which the programme deepens over time in a school.
• Reflecting for an Award focuses schools on documenting their journey, which is valuable for current and future students, staff, management and whanau of the school.
• Awards are a way to recognise and celebrate a school’s journey and sustainability achievements.  This is an affirmation for many schools and is also a way to inspire and engage the wider community.
  

How the Enviroschools Awards process works

Schools progress through each stage of the Awards over time, beginning at Bronze.  At every stage there is an in-school reflection process.  This process is supported by the school’s facilitator and involves students, staff and other relevant people.

To receive an award at any stage, a school needs to fully identify with the descriptive paragraph for that stage.  Schools can choose from a number of activities and tools to help them reflect on whether and how they meet the description.

Description

We have started work on getting to know our environment better and creating a whole school vision.  We are thinking about all the Guiding Principles in our planning and action, and we can see how they would look across the four Key Areas of school life.  Students at our school are exploring options and finding some ways to take action for a sustainable future.  We can already show some changes from what we have done.  There are some students and staff actively involved, and we’ve taken steps to let everyone else in the school know about what is going on.  The people in our school and community know that we are an Enviroschool. 

Description

We have a clear, shared whole school vision and we are working together creatively to make it happen.  There are obvious signs of all the Guiding Principles in our school, across all the areas of school life.  We have a sense of inter-relatedness/whanaungatanga in terms of our school, our community and our environment.  Our sustainable practices are being kept up and are growing; we are branching into new aspects as well as going deeper with existing ones through student-led enquiry.  Students are fully involved in planning and making decisions about actions.  We are tracking our progress and can show that more change has happened.  Our work has involved lots of people in our school, as well as parents, whanau and other community members.

Description

We have a living, evolving school vision – progress is celebrated and new ideas added.  The Guiding Principles are woven into all aspects of our school life.  Environmental sustainability is part of all our decisions and everything we do.  Students at our school have a strong sense of connection to the environment – we know we can effect change for a sustainable world.  The enquiry and action is mainly led by students.  We have been able to measure many changes from our actions, and show that we are making a difference.  The environment is more vibrant and healthy; it feels like a living ecosystem that can support our community towards sustainability.  Maori perspectives are enriching our journey.  The school is involved with our community, honouring the diversity of people within it.

Description

We have surpassed our original visions!  We have a deep and holistic feeling for our environment, and our place in it. Students at our school are actively engaged in making change that has a significant effect on our school, community, nation and planet.  We have the knowledge, ability and confidence to innovate and act to create a sustainable future.  Our school is connected with our wider sourroundings and changes in our local ecology, in livelihoods and lifestyles, in how decision making is shared and how we interact and in how culture is expressed and valued.  Everywhere, everyone makes decisions and takes actions that are good for people and nature.

More information

For more information contact:

Susan Karels, Enviroschools Regional Co-ordinator
Northland Regional Council
Ph: 0800 002 004
Email: susank@nrc.govt.nz 

Julie Holt, Enviroschools Facilitator (primary)
Ph: (027) 452 9091
Email: julie.holt@xtra.co.nz 

Marty Taylor, Enviroschools Facilitator (secondary)
Ph: (022) 6502098
Email: mardtaylor@gmail.com 

Previous award winners

2010 award winners

View photos of the 2010 award winners

2009 award winners

View photos of the 2009 award winners

2008 award winners

Nine Northland schools were recognised for a range of environmental initiatives - including community planting days and organic gardens - at the region’s third annual Enviroschools Awards in early December.
View photos and project details

View photos from the 2008 awards celebration day

2007 award winners

Eight Northland schools have been recognised for a range of environmental initiatives - including releasing rare native snails on an island reserve - at the region’s second annual Enviroschools Awards.
Read the media release with winners details

2006 winners