Green Schools as a tool for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Green Schools is an environmental movement that aims to help children learn environmental information and engage their friends and family in an environmentally friendly way of life. Pupils of Green Schools receive knowledge and experience in biodiversity and clean nature conservation, waste management, water and energy saving, and are actively involved in organizing and conducting public environmental actions.

The movement is popular all over the world. In Belarus the project includes six (five for pre-school institutions) directions with a set of tasks developed taking into account environmental problems and issues being addressed in the country. By completing these tasks, an educational institution can obtain a “green” diploma. 

Functioning of such an initiative as Green Schools contributes not only to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), but also to the achievement of 6, 7, 11, 12, 13-15 Sustainable Development Goals.

On December 13, 2019, the Green Schools Network Forum was held at the Republican Center for Ecology and Local Studies. The Forum was attended by over 150 participants. At the same time, 40 educational institutions were awarded diplomas of the Green School status. Some institutions raised their status by a step up from the previous certification, while others received the certificate for the first time. Pupils and teachers were also awarded, who became winners of the national competition of environmental projects.

During the Forum scientific and experimental laboratories for monitoring of atmospheric air and study of environmental technologies were opened on the basis of the Republican Center of Ecology and Local Studies under the Ecomonitoring project. The National Resource Center presented its experience in implementing the Green Schools educational project. There were scientific and practical sites for teachers and laboratory workshops for children.

The Forum was organized jointly with the National Centre for Ecology within the framework of the “Ecomonitoring” project funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP in Belarus in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources.