Informing and Involving

Eco-Schools is an inclusive programme which aims to encompass the whole school and wider community in its environmental activities. Schools are central to communities and can become models of sustainable practice. 

Whilst the Eco-Committee will take the lead on planning and developing the Action Plan, it is very important that as many students and teachers as possible participate in the projects, engage with Eco-Schools and feel proud of their achievements. Publicise the events you organise by advertising them on your Eco-Schools notice board. This should be in a prominent position within the school for students, parents and visitors to see. You may want to publicise the programme in the school newsletter, or if possible, create a specific Eco-Schools newsletter. 

As you progress through the Eco-Schools programme you will also have opportunities to link your activities to the wider community. Parents, neighbours, local businesses and the local council can be excellent sources of advice, practical assistance and even funding. The local press and radio may also be interested in covering events that have been organised. 

Below you can find suggestions for involving and informing the whole school and wider community as you work through the 7 Steps toward you Green Flag. 

When the Eco-Committee is formed you should:

• Make sure your Eco-Committee is elected by the students and is student led.
• Consult community experts when making decisions.
• Take advantage of the Eco-Schools support network by seeking advice on themes from local councils, other partner organisations or local businesses. 

At Environmental Review stage you might:

• Carry out surveys in school and the wider community, using data to create statistics. 
• Write letters to local businesses to find potential waste operators. 
• Organise a launch event that gives your Eco-Committee an opportunity to explain the aims for the project and issue a call to action. 

When preparing your Action Plan you could:

• Regularly feedback decisions, developments and progress from committee meetings to students and staff. 
• Arrange for speakers from outside organisations and businesses to visit the school. 
• Extend your Action Plan to include activities for students to do at home, raising awareness among families. 
• Consult your parent community if you are need someone with certain skills or expertise. 

Share your great work on Social Media and your school's Website:

Organize Days of Action 

Through ongoing publicity and ‘Days of Action’, Eco-Schools gives everyone the opportunity - students, teachers, non-teaching staff, parents, local councils and other groups - to get together to work towards achieving some of the targets set out in your Action Plan. There are so many ideas for ‘Days of Action’ and it’s important that students can put their ideas into practice. You could organise a litter pick, have a healthy eating day, walk to school week, no dishwasher day at home. You could even hold some of your lessons in the school grounds. The list is endless! 

Some other ways to inform your community: 

• Organise a school assembly to celebrate success in achieving targets or to allow children to present their research and results. 
• Organise exhibitions of project work at the school and in the wider community, e.g. local library, community hall. 
• Contact your local newspaper and ask them to publicise details of the success of your Eco-Schools programme. 

In all cases, you can approach your local council Environmental Education Officer for advice. You can also contact an Eco-Schools Officer for help and advice. We love to hear of the fantastic work going on in Eco-Schools all over the province, so please Contact Us and let us know what’s happening in your school.

TOP TIP: Contact your local newspaper and ask them to publicise details of the success of your Eco-Schools programme.