Environmental Education and Outreach    

 

Eco-clubs Project

Eco-club is an environmental education program that was established by Eco-Ethics International Union- Kenya Chapter in 2002 in response to the principles of Agenda 21.  It is a school based program that organizes students or pupils into a club coordinated by a teacher who is the patron of the club to undertake environmental friendly activities in the school and the community where they live.

What are Eco-club objectives?

The main goal of eco-club is to promote environmental education and action in schools and outside school with an aim of achieving sustainable development. Its objectives therefore include:

 

• Building environmentally conscious and responsible young generation.
• Encouraging the development of hands-on skills among the young people in school and outside school.
• Encourage useful participation of young people in national and global environmental management.
• Demonstrating best environmental practices to the community through schools and pupils /students.
• Offering a platform to share ideas innovations and insight about environmental concern and anxieties.

 

Areas of focus

Eco-club focuses on the following areas:

• Environmental degradation
• Sustainable solid and liquid waste management
• Climate change and atmospheric pollutions.
• Food security and poverty alleviation.
• Water and sanitation
• Health and safety.
• Biodiversity Conservation.
• Responsible conservation

 

Eco-club activities

Eco-club promotes environmental education through the following activities:

 

Trainings through workshops and seminars

 

Eco-Ethics International Kenya organizes for training session to equip Eco-club patrons with relevant information, knowledge, experiences and skills on best environmental practices for schools and communities.

 

Eco-forums

We reach out to young people in school and outside school through joint environmental debates, environmental talks and video shows to promote environmental awareness and action. This involve bringing together Eco-club members from different schools debate, talk over or visualize an emerging environmental issues such as climate change and persistent organic particles among others.

 

Eco-tours

Ecological tours to some of the Kenya’s exciting and attractive ecological sites provide Eco-club members in schools and outside schools with good opportunities for learning, fun and social interaction with man and nature.

 

Some of the sites that are frequently visited include national parks of both marine and savanna ecosystems, forests, beaches, museum and historical monuments. Students or pupils and their teachers also get a chance to tour areas of environmental concerns such as dumpsite, eroded terrains and valleys and pollution hotspots.

 

Star of the sea students at Mwakamba Eco-Tourism

 

Micro project

Micro project are important learning tools for schools and the neighboring communities. Eco-Ethics International Kenya encourages schools to initiate small micro projects to address some of the environmental challenges in schools. The micro projects in schools are used to demonstrate best environmental practices and also used to localize curriculum in school thus promoting understanding of class work.

 

Schools are free to select the micro project based on the areas of Eco-club focus. Such micro project include: forestry, paper recycling and re-use and poultry farming among others.

 

 

 

The World Ocean Day

Eco-Ethics International Kenya is the focal point of the world ocean day in Kenya. Every June 8th, we mobilize members of the public including the eco-club members to celebrate efforts put to save and protect the oceans and the seas from pollution. The event which also sensitizes the public on ocean issues is globally coordinated by the World Ocean Network.

 

On this day, the students get the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the protection of marine environment. During this forum, outstanding efforts done by young people on ocean conservation are rewarded with a citizen of the ocean passport.

 

Currently, there are nearly over a 100 holders of citizen of the ocean passport who are eco-club members. Each year passport holder’s performance is reviewed and the most eco-friendly eco-club member is acknowledged as an ambassador of the ocean. Eco club schools also do compete in various eco-activities such as songs and dances, poems and oral verses, artwork, drama and skits and exhibition.

 

 

The green flag award

Eco-Ethics International Kenya in partnership with Kenya Organization for Environmental education (KOEE) and Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) assesses Eco-club in schools based on their green policies. Schools with working green-policies graduate into an Eco-school and are awarded a green flag which is an international recognition that the school is environmentally friendly. The flag is a special recognition which can help the schools to access environmental grants and in enhancing networks. The school will be in possession of the flag as long as its practices are environmentally friendly. If the schools fail to observe good environmental practices after graduating, the green flag award shall be withdrawn.

 

How to become an Eco-Club School

1. Registration
The schools establish Eco-Club and thereafter the schools register into the program by filling a registration form and paying a registration fee of Kshs. 500 only and subscribe annually with the same amount.

 

2. Implementation
The implementation of the Eco-Club program encompasses the following areas:

• Mobilizing the support of the school’s administration and other members of the staff.
• Recruitment of students or pupils into the Eco-club.
• Develop good leadership structure for the club.
• Formulate club activities in school.
• Develop a long term plan of activities for the school.
• Implement your school action plan.
• Actively participate in Eco-Ethics International Kenya organized activities.
• Report club activities to the school staff, administration and Eco-Ethics International Kenya.