For several years now, Ecole Internationale Montgomery, in Brussels, has been interested in ecological matters and carries out specific actions to raise awareness of environmental issues in its school community. But the real starting point for this project was in September 2019, when the school joined the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) programme. One of the objectives of this programme is to award the Eco-School label to schools that engage in environmental initiatives. As an IB World School, we also believe it is important to be part of an international network that will allow us to share our experiences and exchange with other schools around the world.
The idea was launched and presented to the school’s students and teachers. Very quickly, students of all levels wanted to participate in the actions, to reflect on positive practices to be implemented for the planet, and to improve their living environment: the Eco-Team was created. Weekly meetings are held to bring the project to life and to make it more dynamic.
The actions followed one after the other: a survey on food and waste practices, the creation of a barometer of the school’s cleanliness, a focus on recycling, a workshop on crafting bee wraps, the set-up of a worm composting bin, the sale of reusable water bottles, the participation in the ‘Good Planet Challenge’, etc. We have also devoted a whole day at the beginning of this year involving the school community in the subject of ecology. On this occasion, the students were divided into groups and they were given a theme to work on, such as the implementation of compost and its proper use, healthy and local snacks, an advertising campaign for the Eco-School,… It is all together that we immersed ourselves in this issue and our students participated actively. Our goal? To go beyond the school setting and to also reach the local community and families.
Today, the conclusion is clear: our school is greener thanks to the new practices that have been put in place but also thanks to the changes that we have made to reduce our ecological footprint by raising awareness amongst our students but also in our community. That said, our Eco-team remains very active because we know that there is always room for improvement. Our future projects are numerous: the creation of a bicycle parking rack, a vegetable garden, the installation of an insect house,…
The school is committed not only to developing tomorrow’s leaders, but also responsible citizens who will protect the earth we live on.
