All nominees:

Nominee I

Submitted by: Ciudadanía Solidaria
Nation: Argentina

Autonomous food supply for Argentine school to combat poverty and malnourishment

The rural community La Soledad in the province of Salsa in northwest Argentina struggles with poverty and malnourishment. In a pilot project (2003-2008) of the Argentine NGO Ciudadanía Solidaria, the self-sufficiency of the local school was ensured. In cooperation with pupils and the community, an agricultural area was established on school grounds where fruits, spices and vegetables are grown (some in greenhouses), seedlings are nurtured, honey bees are kept, and other animals (pigs, poultry, rabbits) are raised. These home-grown organic products are processed on site by the students. Bio-waste is used as fertilizer, and energy is supplied by the sun. The know-how acquired through the project enables pupils and teachers to continue to run the farming. Learning performance by the pupils was improved through regular, balanced school lunches, and learning problems were drastically reduced. The success of the project has now led to its implementation in other schools in the region.

Nominee II

Submitted by: Ustanova Ekosola kot nacin zivljenja
Nation: Slovenia

Eco-schools as a way of life

EcoSchool is an EU program and an integral element of EU efforts in the area of environmental education. „Ekošola kot način življenja“ (EcoSchool as a way of life) is the nationally coordinated EcoSchool project in Slovenia. Its goal is to reduce energy consumption by 10 - 15% annually and to propagate the idea to other Slovenian schools. In cooperation with the school center in Velenje, a showcase project was implemented promoting energy efficiency in school buildings and environmental consciousness in Slovenia. Already in 1999 school buildings of the center implemented the first long-range energy efficiency measures. The center repeatedly hosts educational events and training sessions on energy saving for pupils, students and staff.
 

Nominee III

Submitted by: MOHAMMED VEX Foundation for Environment Protection
Nation: Morocco

ECO-SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Created in Morocco in 2006 by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environment Protection, the Eco-Schools program has concerned in its experiencing phase 8471 students and 17 schools dispatched over nine regions in the Kingdom, which are: Agadir, Benguerir, Youssoufia, Khouribga, Rabat-Salé, Tangier, Ait Ourir and Imzouran. Eco-Schools is a program for environmental management, certification, and sustainable development education for schools. Its holistic, participatory approach and combination of learning and action make it an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path for improving the environments of schools and their local communities, and for influencing the lives of young people, school staff, families, local authorities, NGOs, and more. The Eco-Schools program involves seven steps that any school can adopt. Based on the elements of an environmental management program, the process involves a wide range of stakeholders, but it is the pupils who play the most important role.