Informing and involving the school community

Step 1 – Establishment of Eco-Schools Committee
For the purposes of informing the school community about activities of the Eco-Schools committee it is suitable to draw up minutes from the working meeting. The information may be passed on to school community via representatives of various school bodies. Another possible way is to inform about current news for example on the black board, in show case, on the website, via notices in classrooms, via circular letter or in school magazine. Feedback from school community related to establishment of Eco-Schools committee is desirable. (see for example Feedback board or idea box).

Step 2 – Environmental review
It is reasonable when school community provides Eco-School committee with proposals related to environmental review. Anyway, Eco-Schools committee should inform school community before the review in what areas the review is going to be made. School community should be informed about results of environmental review in order to launch a discussion process about suitable improvement processes.

Step 3 – Action plan
Cooperation of Eco-Schools committee and wide group of school community may be used for action plan implementation. There should be a permanent coordination and continuous exchange of persons involved in the implementation. School community should be informed about progress of action plan implementation all the time (inter alia by the means of school bodies, school website). It is reasonable to hang out the action plan in school building on an elevated place – possibly in all classrooms – so that it could serve as a base for the Eco-Schools committee and for other members of school community. In order to involve other members of school community in the work it is suitable to present results and possibly to win other teachers, pupils and parents for participation or takeover of tasks.

Step 4 – Monitoring and Evaluation
Process and results of evaluation should be evaluated within Eco-Schools committee and then also within school community. Moreover, evaluation results should be published at school and made accessible to all (e.g. charts, schemes). It is reasonable to organize a meeting where representatives or bodies of school community express praise and acknowledgement for engagement.

Step 5 – Curriculum Work
School programme should be published for all members of school community visibly. It may be done for example by the means of website, school-made flyer or notices at the school. For filling common vision with life respective subjects, projects and working groups should be offered to pupils. Furthermore, it is recommended to support the process of education for sustainable development at lessons and in school life by the means of further education of teachers. Training of janitor and canteen staff offers a good support, too. It is suitable to use parents´ occupational competences.

Step 6 – Informing and Involving
Involving the school community and informing about the state and results of plans or projects should be made - as shown in previous steps, too - by the means of various school bodies, documentations, notices, on school website or letters to parents. Furthermore, Eco-Schools committee´s engagement and successful work should be acknowledged and appreciated also at a certification event by awarding of Eco-Schools flag and deed publicly. At the same time it is suitable to invite city representatives, like mayor, regional politicians or representatives of school authority and environment agency. Project results may be presented in the framework of jointly organized exhibitions, action days, environment days or school feasts what affects the public positively.

Step 7 – Eco-code
There should be a debate about Eco-code in the school. Pupils may organize it together during project days. Furthermore, Eco-code may become a subject-matter of lessons and may be discussed and formulated for example during German language class or art class. Anyway, Eco-code should include actions and projects related to life. It is suitable to present it for example on Open door day by the means of exemplar public projects and actions. It is essential that school community identifies itself with the Eco-code.