SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAM
Environmental Conservation Community of Tanzania ( ECCT) launched and delivered a fantastic green school program event in Dar es salaam, Tanzania, where the event was organised by ECCT organisation at Daniel Chongolo secondary School in Mbezi beach, Dar es salaam from 02nd to 04th June 2022 . The launch event gathered 200 students and trained them on environmental education and planting 30 mango tree seedlings around school premises. Green school program launch event was part of the Environmental Conservation community of Tanzania ( ECCT) continuous activities and adventure to celebrate our planet for the World Environment Day event 2022. Because now we need a champion more than ever, to accelerate solutions to these environmental impacts including waste headed to landfill, climate crisis and massive loss of our nature.
Overall school outreach project goals:
- Increasing awareness about the impact of poor waste management and educating students on proper waste management.
- Educating students about possible ways to reduce waste and being considerate about their consumption.
- To create awareness on environmental conservation activities through tree planting and gardening in order to improve school biodiversity.
- To enable students and community members to understand the importance of trees in their livelihoods.
- To provide experiential learning techniques to directly involve students in hands-on projects that inspire community members whilst keeping the environment clean.:
School outreach project activities:
Project Introduction: This was prior activities during the preparation of implementing the Green school program. This activity involved an introduction of the program to head masters and teachers at Daniel chongolo secondary schools and school permit access from regional education officers, facilitators introducing themselves and gathering teachers’ suggestions. This activity was very important because of its link communication between the program Facilitators team and teachers which helped in smooth scheduling and agreement for the various program coordination with the school before the launch event of the green school program.
- Presentation. This was part of the program where we delivered an interactive and engaging presentation to 50 students. The content for our presentation covered basic information about environmental conservation issues, waste and its impact on community health and the environment, best waste practices, climate change and importance of planting trees. Our mode of teaching was through projector presentation to the school, even if it was a government school but the school has electricity.
- Creative workshop: During the implementation of this part of the Green School Program we addressed important environmental issues in ways that even young children can participate in and understand. In this session we involved students in preparation and developing environmental messages, designing posters with environmental contents based on the subject of environmental conservation issues, song and poet composition. For this activity to be possible we provided students with A1 Manila paper, marker pens, pencils, Crayons paints and pens, these tools were given to students to facilitate them in their work for creative workshops.
- School assembly presentation: This was the most inspiring and attractive part of our activities during the launch of the green school program at Daniel Chongolo secondary school program. Students involved in creative workshops such as developing environmental messages, designing posters with environmental contents based on the subject of environmental conservation issues and song and poet composition were to pitch their product at school assembly and elicit school support.
School outreach project impacts:
Practice stewardship: Green school programs address important environmental issues in ways that even young children can participate in and understand. For Example we involved students in preparation of Developing environmental messages, designing posters with environmental contents based on the subject of environmental conservation issues and posted on school notice board, offices, classroom and other visible places. While these individual actions may be small, together these projects can fundamentally improve the local environment and profoundly change the way that students understand their place in the world. This is a very positive way to approach the field of environmental education, and an inspiring, optimistic counterpoint to the widespread Ecophobia and Nature-Deficit Disorder.
By teaching students to explore and understand their environment with their hands, hearts, and minds—whether they are climbing into a tree house or diving into the challenges of the surrounding world—green school programs help us to plant seeds that will blossom as children grow up and help to shape an ecologically literate society.
