The International School Breda was founded under the motto “ISBcares”. The students and staff always strive to embody this motto in their actions. This is what led the school to join the Eco-Schools program.
Created in Denmark in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Eco-Schools is the largest international accreditation and education for sustainable development program in the world (ESD). It works with students and encourages them to strategize and act in ways that are sustainable. Every plan of action is designed by listening to their hearts, thinking with their heads, carrying out the service with their hands, and giving sustainability a definite place in their schools. This encourages them to be active participants in their society and learn awareness of sustainability issues and how to tackle them using their interests, resources and talents.
International School Breda was awarded the silver certificate earlier this year by the Eco–Schools program. The students of ISB follow the five-step philosophy in all their sustainability projects:
- Students take centre stage.
- The school helps with definitive steps in their plans.
- Sustainability plays an important role in their education.
- Sustainability plays a visible role in the school building and classes.
- All students, staff and parents participate as a community.
Some of the initiatives taken by the students this year have been to reduce overall paper usage, improve recycling, lower the thermostat during the winter, organising and promoting a pre-loved market, planting seeds and trees, picking and collecting litter and other initiatives centred around the theme ‘nature and waste’. The idea is to keep coming up with new initiatives, until the concept of sustainability is second nature to everyone. The Eco-Team at International School Breda hopes to be part of this much-needed change and move towards a future of a better, sustainable world.
www.internationalschoolbreda.nl/