EDUCATIONAL IMPACTS
Looking at the environmental footprint of schooling through auditing and accreditation
Their core belief is in partnership in all that they do, engaging with government bodies, businesses and local communities to involve everyone in action to care for where they live and make it a vibrant, healthy and safe place where individuals and enterprise prosper.Climate change is the driving force behind the EMAS (Eco Management & Audit Scheme) in schools project. It is a ground breaking European environmental management programme tailored in Leicester for delivery in schools.
Taking part in EMAS will enable pupils, teachers, parents, governors and local residents to work together to take responsibility for their school’s environmental impacts, both locally and globally. This entails reducing energy and water consumption, reducing waste, encouraging sustainable transport use and raising awareness of environmental problems. Currently there are 72 schools working on the project, resulting in access to in excess of 30,000 young people. 49 of these schools have achieved EMAS accreditation. The aim is to support a further 23 schools in November and enable 6 EMAS education officers to be trained to auditor status, which would provide great added value to the quality and impact of the project.
“Environmental Charity Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire’s groundbreaking EMAS in schools project, uses European Environmental Management systems, tailored for children, to engage whole school communities in environmental action. The children audit their school and use the information gathered to create an action plan of environmental improvements. These are then carried out in conjunction with senior management, teachers and family members to ensure maximum impact and sustainability. Five EMAS Education Officers from Groundwork work with over 70 schools in the city, helping schools engage with national agendas such as the DCSF Sustainable Schools Agenda, Healthy Schools Award and Every Child Matters, as well as helping schools prepare for annual internal and external audits. The funding provided by APE will enable education officers to attend training in environmental auditing, increasing the quality and impact of project delivery to the schools with which they work.
