Enviroschools

Enviroschools is a nationwide educational programme, supported by the Toimata Foundation (link to external website, new window), and delivered to schools in partnership with local councils, including the Dunedin City Council (DCC) and Otago Regional Council (ORC). It involves students taking action to create healthy, peaceful, and sustainable communities.

The programme focuses on the wellbeing of the whole school, community, and ecosystem, and is embedded in te ao Māori practice. The programme aims to:

Inspire young people and schools to create a vision for the future
Pause, celebrate and plan for next steps through holistic reflection
Facilitate connections and collaboration in partnership with local, national and global communities
Create future leaders who know how to make informed decisions and take action
Encourage diverse perspectives of local and global environmental, social, political and economical challenges.

Enviroschools also provides professional development for teachers and action-based learning for students through annual hui (meetings).

How does the DCC support Enviroschools?

The DCC supports young people and schools to deliver local activities and projects as part of our strategic commitment to sustainability.The DCC employs Enviroschools Facilitators who actively support each school’s sustainability journey. They work alongside teachers, students, and local communities to help embed long term, meaningful environmental practices and projects.

The ORC supports the Enviroschools programme throughout the Otago region through its Regional Coordinator, who works with both partner councils and community groups delivering the mahi (work). Find out more information about the ORC’s coordination of the Envrioschools programme on the ORC website (link to external website, new window).

How can you get involved with Enviroschools?

Through partnerships with community groups to educational resources, the Enviroschools team can support schools to take big ideas and turn them into reality.

If you are a school interested in being a part of Enviroschools, please email: enviroschools@orc.govt.nz.

If you are a teacher who wants more information about Enviroschools, please email the Regional Coordinator Lead: leisa.deklerk@orc.govt.nz.

If you have a project, an idea or an initiative that you think fits with the Enviroschools kaupapa (purpose), then contact the Dunedin Enviroschools Facilitators to arrange a meeting.

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