“That the Chief Executive provide an overview of the programs of work for Climate Action and Environmental Awareness specifically in relation to primary and secondary school children.”

The motion, in the name of Councillor JK. Onwumereh was proposed by JK. Onwumereh and seconded by Councillor. J. Newman

Response:

The Climate Awareness and the Environmental Awareness Sections of the Environment Department, roll out awareness programs for primary and secondary school students to educate and raise awareness around climate action and the environment. Examples of these programs include: -

1. Green Schools Program

The Green Schools Program is operated in partnership with An Taisce and Local Authorities. The Environmental Awareness Officer works closely with schools on the ground to help them achieve their flag status. 

136 schools across Fingal are active in the Green Schools Program. The 10-Flag program includes Litter and Waste, Energy, Water, Travel, Biodiversity and Global Citizenship. We facilitate assessments for the purpose of awarding flags. We also provide funding assistance and information to the schools and roll out several workshops themes every year to complement their efforts in achieving the Green Schools Flags.

2. Relove Fashion Workshops

Relove Fashion is a Sustainable Fashion competition open to young people of secondary school age across the Republic of Ireland. The competition was developed and is funded through a partnership between the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, The Government of Ireland and the Rediscovery Centre, Ireland’s National Centre for the Circular Economy. Fingal County Council promotes the initiative in secondary schools and assists students with their competition entries, offering free workshops and prizes to participating students. These workshops are run by Circular Fashion Ireland and highlight the devastating impacts of the fashion industry on the Climate, the need for change and the recognition of young people’s pivotal role in shaping innovative solutions and are proving extremely popular.

3. Repaired Musical Instruments

The RePlay.ie initiative is an ongoing circular economy initiative by Fingal County Council. Musical instruments that have been discarded in the recycling centre’s are repaired and then circulated back into the community. Schools participate by receiving lots of instruments every year from guitars and keyboards to drums and fiddles.

4. School Composting Project

Fingal County Council funds schools to participate in the Composting for Schools Program. This in-depth program is suitable for both primary and post primary schools and helps support each school’s journey in managing litter, food and landscape waste and compost. It is a perfect program to compliment Green School projects, and in particular the litter and waste theme. Approximately 70 schools across Fingal have signed up to this project to date. Many schools were provided with wormeries for food waste and leaf-mould cages to compost leaves.

5. Picker Pals

Picker Pals is an excellent initiative where 1st and 2nd Class students of primary schools can sign up to receive a take-home pack full of activities to include fun story and activity books, songs, interactive tv sessions, litter picking equipment and teacher support materials all designed to encourage young children to pick up their litter after themselves. The program is sponsored by Fingal County Council. The pack is circulated around the class with each child and their family members given the opportunity to keep the picker pals pack for a week and record their experience.  There are 87 classrooms across Fingal on the Picker Pals Program.

6. Christmas Upcycling Workshops

Fingal County Council ran a number of hands-on workshops that combine upcycling with the principles of the circular economy, just in time for the holiday season. These workshops focus on creating unique Christmas decorations from repurposed materials, providing participants with a sustainable and creative way to celebrate. Attendees learn techniques for transforming everyday items into festive decor, reducing waste and promoting environmentally friendly practices. By encouraging the reuse of materials, Fingal County Council aims to foster a circular economy mindset, empowering the community to give items a second life and make environmentally conscious choices. This has proven hugely popular with primary schools with approximately 12 schools participating in 2024 and a waiting list in place. We hope to increase this number for 2025.

7. Halloween costume/Christmas jumper swap shops

The Environmental Awareness Officer commenced the roll-out of several swap-shops in primary schools in 2024 to include Halloween Costumes and Christmas Jumpers. This is to promote fashion sustainability and educate students on the circular economy.

8. Rubbish Film Festival

Fingal County Council signed up to ‘The Rubbish Film Festival’ for the first time in 2024. This involves a 2-day workshop for post-primary schools to teach students how to create their own short film to raise awareness amongst their peers around climate change/action. Films are made using mobile digital technology, iPads and accessories which are supplied by the facilitator along with resources and software. Workshops include instruction and practical activities on SDGs. Students research, initiate and create a 1-minute short film to inform and educate their peers on Climate Action. Schools across approximately 15 Local Authorities participate in this programme annually and it culminates in an award ceremony with the best videos winning an award.

9. Climate Literacy Workshops

This is an 8-week themed module program for post-primary schools covering: the science of climate change, sustainable development, climate justice, the plastic crisis, fast fashion, sustainable transport, biodiversity loss, food and soil. There is also a teacher training element where teachers receive Climate Literacy resources incl. background to all topics, classroom activities and printable materials so that they can roll out the program themselves in the future to students. 10 Fingal Schools signed up to this Program in 2024.

There are three climate action in Fingal’s Climate Action Plan 2024 – 2029 specifically relating to schools and they are climate action C6, C7 & C8.

Fingal County Council is committed to raising awareness and educating Fingal’s young people on the detrimental impacts of litter/waste on the environment and climate. Our campaigns, educational programmes, and strategic initiatives aim to mobilize young people and we will continue to roll-out the above programmes as well as any new initiatives within our resources.

Report Accepted