What does Action at School involve?

Action at School

Action at School is an environmental programme that lasts 6-9 months in each school and is endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The programme engages students in environmental learning that helps schools save money and improve their environmental performance.

Global Action Plan supports a volunteer team of students. The team measures their school's environmental impact, sets improvement targets, and communicates and builds partnerships with local community organisations.

How does Action at School promote education and training?

young people work in teams to design and implement their own plan of action, they learn how to run an information campaign, measure the results, develop communications, management skills and contribute to their schools and wider society.
young people gain an understanding of an element of key stages three and four on the citizenship curriculum whilst learning about personal responsibility and their impact on the environment.
participants are acknowledged by their school and community and receive a United Nations Environment Programme certificate.

How does Action at School help young people achieve their full potential?

by providing the chance to volunteer and learn through teamwork with students of different ages within the school environment.
by enabling young people to take control of their actions and contribute to their school's business plan. Their achievement of an average reduction in waste to landfill of 41% and energy use by 10% means their action plans often become part of their school's environmental management system.

Action at School involves the following stages

Planning we meet with the appropriate teachers and ensure the school is committed to the initiative.
Recruitment we advise the lead teacher on recruitment, ensuring a mixture of student abilities and ages.
Training day we run a training day for up to 25 volunteers and a lead teacher. This fun and interactive session explains the environmental issue, and the importance of taking action as well as the audit process.
First audit we support the volunteer team of students in an audit of the environmental performance of their school, carrying out spotchecks, surveying other students, reading meters and weighing waste.
Action planning workshop once students have carried out their first audit they are familiar with the problem areas. We encourage students to come up with ideas to change behaviours and tackle problems.
Campaign (with regular campaign meetings) we support and help the volunteer team to implement their action plans.
Second audit we help the volunteer team to repeat their initial audit.
Celebration once the environmental savings have been calculated, the volunteer students hold a celebration event where they are awarded with their United Nations Environment Programme certificate.