Pupils at Rugby School Thailand are fortunate enough to be surrounded by greenery in every direction. It forms an important part of our outlook, both literally and figuratively – in its reminder for us to think green.
Children at Rugby School Thailand enjoy activities outside in nature, and in return we ask them to take responsibility for this environment. With the city smog of Bangkok some 140km away we feel truly grateful for our location in the lush Chonburi countryside, but it’s a close reminder of increasingly alarming environmental issues in the world.
Children may only be 20% of the population, but they are 100% of our future.
The world we are creating now is the one they will have to live in, so it’s important they have the knowledge, understanding and opportunity for input. As Extinction Rebellion has reminded us all, action needs to be taken now.
Changes don’t have to be seismic to make an impact. Rugby School Thailand’s student Eco Club make brilliant green ambassadors for the school, coming up with small, actionable initiatives that make a big difference. They have created poster campaigns to promote energy saving and waste reduction, undertaken recycling craft projects (such as making bags out of old t shirts, decorations from rolled newspapers and planters from plastic bottles), helped increase the number recycling bins across the campus, and driven collective actions, such as getting rid of paper cups by water dispensers to encourage the use of water bottles instead. They remind us all to play our part; to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Our growing school campus makes a conscious effort to be sustainable where it can; we plant trees, grow produce, preserve areas for wildlife and add ecosystems with our school lakes. We give back. The school has also been working with BANPU INFINERGY to install solar panels across the campus, which already produce almost 30% of our energy (a figure set to increase substantially). Project week this year focused on power and renewable energy, which allowed pupils to take charge of their futures by creating and developing energy-saving projects. And they had great fun too!
Living with this green mentality aims to give pupils here a mindset for life.
We need the people who make up 100% of the future to care – because there is no plan(et) b.
To find out more about Rugby School Thailand, click here.
