Come to New Zealand and really experience the Enviroschools Programme!

Our workshop tours for international educators and programme developers gives participants the chance to explore and experience the Enviroschools programme in New Zealand.

The workshop tour will take you to the amazing west coast beaches of Raglan where you will experience Māori culture and a sustainable community in practice.  You'll be off to Hamilton (the central hub for the Enviroschools National Team) and will also visit the beautiful Bay of Plenty. The workshop includes:

• A 2-day live-in workshop at Te Mauri Tau, the Māori education partner of The Enviroschools Foundation.  This gives an insight into the development and implementation of the Enviroschools Programme including the guiding principles, curriculum integration, student action processes, resources and supporting tools.
• Visits to a number of enviroschools, where you will be able to see the whole school actions and talk to students and teachers about what they do. 
• A reflection and planning session to decide how you can use the Enviroschools experiences to develop your own programme.

Take part and be inspired to move ahead with the Enviroschools Programme in your country! 
Email us to find out more:  info@enviroschools.org.nz

Reflections from our first international workshop

The Enviroschools Foundation hosted a workshop, in November 2008.  Teachers from Chile, Brunei and Singapore attended.  The one-week visit included two days at Te Mauri Tau, the Māori base of Enviroschools, then visits to seven enviroschools in Hamilton and Auckland.

Teachers from these countries said that the week trip was inspiring, and they identified a number of aspects of Enviroschools that had impressed them, including student leadership, purposeful action-focused projects, student confidence and knowledge and the integration of Māori perspectives.

The Chilean teachers sent the following feedback on what they had observed about Enviroschools:

• New Zealand students in enviroschools feel ownership and take responsibility for what they do.
• Enviroschools is helping to build leadership skills amongst the children.
• Enviroschools helps makes children part of a sustainable society.
• Through Enviroschools children develop a respect for what is around them, for themselves, and for their community.
• Children are confident believers in the importance of the environment because they are allowed to see and experience it. 
• Students are self confident and use their knowledge to protect the environment and pursue sustainability.
• School is a fun place and everyone enjoys what they are doing.
• Children make decisions about their future (rather than waiting for it to arrive).
• Enviroschools is child centred and people (experts, teachers, students, parents) work as a collective to bring Enviroschools ambitions to fruition.
• Through the process of learning (and teaching) children (and schools) are not afraid to fail.
• Children are independent and knowledgeable and take pride in their environment.

At the end of the workshop the teachers listed the support they felt that would need to enable them to move forward with an Enviroschools approach in their own countries:

•    Information sharing
•    Mentors
•    Student and teacher exchanges
•    Support networks in their respective countries
•    Programme/materials development
•    Sharing between countries
•    Action in other countries

Download the powerpoint below that the Envirogroup from SMJA Secondary School Brunei Darussalam put together!