Platinum Awards Theme: Water and/or Food Security

Platinum Handbook and Reporting Guidelines 2014

The Eco-Schools programme tries to support and strengthen Global initiatives to address food security and other key sustainability challenges by linking the Platinum Eco-Schools theme with the International United Nations Years. The UN 2014 International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) aims to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicatinghunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas. We recognise that the school can play a significant role in encouraging “family” and community farming through food security projects which will have a positive benefit for the parents of learners at the school and for community care givers and extended families. The South African government also supports these initiatives through, for example, the KwaZulu Natal Provincial “One Home, One Garden” initiative (your provincial Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs can help you with this). As farming and food gardening can have a significant impact on water use and is impacted by water availability, the 2014 Eco-Schools Theme encourages schools to consider both water and food security when planning your action projects and learning activities for 2014.

As you have 5 or more Awards as part of the Eco-Schools network of schools, you are also encouraged to maintain this high standard of environmental excellence. To further commit to the goals you have already achieved, as well as the vision of your Eco-Codeask yourself the following questions:

Is my school following the 7 steps to becoming an Eco-School?
Do I know what the 7 steps are?
Can I list these? / YES / NO
Do I understand what makes Eco-Schools a unique programme? Could I motivate other schools, new teachers and senior management about the ES programme?
Do I understand what the difference is between a project and an action project (Action Enquiry- the basis of the Eco-Schools methodology)?
Has my school linked the action projects and topics covered as part of the curriculum to the 5 Eco-School themes?
Has my school undertaken more than one topic and project per Eco-School theme over the years of my registration with Eco-Schools?e.g. water, energy etc under resource use and not only water for example
Has my school developed an extensive network of support made up of individuals from the community, other N.G.O’s, C.B.O’s and other partner organizations?
Can I list some of these partners?
Is the environmental committee at the school well developed? Does it have active representation across both the student body as well as active representation across various members of the school staff?
Is awareness among the student body well developed? Are the majority of learners aware that the school is an Eco-School?
Is everyone at the school aware of the school’s Eco-Code? In particular, the learners?
Do Parents and community members actively support the schools environmental projects and programmes undertaken by the school?
Does my school actively engage in planning for the year incorporating the environment into the curriculum and teaching as well as in terms of commemorating special days and planning environmental projects?
Does the management of the school as well as the relevant Department of Basic Education representatives in the district/area, endorse and support the environmental work being done at the school?
Is the school actively engaged in innovation in education and being responsive to emerging local and global environmental issues and risks such as climate change and rhino poaching?
Is the school is linked to other schools and educators in the community who are engaged in similar work or are assisting another school in attaining their Eco-School’s status or have “twinned” with either a local or International school.
  • If you have answered with mostly “yes” answers, you are ready to take on the challenge of achieving your Platinum award by supporting another local school or environmental club to join the Eco-Schools programme.
  • If your answers are mostly “no”, we suggest that you aim to focus on improving on the work that you have done previously so that you can “raise the bar” of your environmental work even higher!

To remind you, the 3 options for achieving your Eco-Schools Platinum Award are:

  1. Special Theme Focus: Water and/ or Food Security (water/ food security should be the focus of all environmental work planned over the year whilst still maintaining all your previous theme projects)
  2. 7 Step improvement e.g. improve on one of your theme projects (revisit what you have done previously and improve on this work. e.g. redo one of the themes)
  3. New Eco-School Mentorship (help another school or environmental club to join the Eco-Schools programme)

Option 1: Special Theme Focus- Water and/ or Food Security

Water/ Food Security should be the focus of all environmental work planned over the year whilst still maintaining all your previous theme projects. Evidence for Option 1 needs to include:

Planning framework- show evidence of planning your water action projects and learning for each term

Action - a minimum of one action project relevant to the special theme of “Water and/ or Food Security’

Evidence- Photographs as visual and supporting evidence of the action project and examples of learners work where appropriate

Curriculum linked learning - a minimum of 3 lesson plans relevant to the special theme (ideally from various grades and learning areas)

Special Day celebrations- Whole school involvement relevant to Water and/ or Food security

Option Two: Seven Step Improvement

The Eco-Schools programme framework is based on a 7 Step Framework. This framework is what makes the Eco-Schools programme unique. The steps are there to help your school to improve in terms of environmental management and whole school development. For a variety of reasons, in some cases some of these steps are implemented but are done so in ways that are very basic and could be improved upon should the Eco-committee have the time and resources to do so. In your Platinum years you are given the opportunity to do this, that is, to reflect on the 7 Steps at your school and to identify ways in which you could improve on these.

Other ideas for 7 Step Improvement are:

  1. The Eco-Committee- the school must show improvement and development of the Eco-Committee through more enhanced learner involvement and through more support from other educators and subject specialists, S.G.B members and management. Evidence would have to be provided of this involvement (attendance at committee meetings as well as the role and function of these members- what did they do?)
  2. The Audit/ School Review-Innovation with regard to the finding out activities- This might be in the form of suggested improvements to the audit/whole school review or the development of theme specific audits
  3. The Eco-Code- review your school’s Eco-code and whether this reflects the schools vision and ethos. Update and improve on this. Ensure that the “whole school” participates and is aware of the Eco-Code
  4. Planning for teaching and learning - schools can develop their own planning tools for whole school and subject integration/calendar and curriculum review
  5. Implement and take action- innovative new ideas for action projects and technology based ideas
  6. Report and share-ideas for twinning/e- learning.

Option Three: Eco-School/Club Mentorship

The impact of the mentoring and support needs to also be clear, for example if the new school is being assisted with projects or learning material, copies of material must be provided as well as photographic evidence of involvement. Learner involvement and mentoring between schools is also encouraged, especially if learners on the environmental committee can assist or “sit- in” on environmental committee meetings in the new Eco-School. The new Eco-Schools plans for the following year must also be included as part of the reporting for the Platinum Award.


Platinum Reporting Guidelines

Section A: Show Evidence of continuing yourEco-School“5 Theme” Projects

Name of School:………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

GPS coordinates (if you know these):…………………………………………………………………………

Nearest town or city:...... …………………………………………………………………………

Province:………......

School Tel: ......

Eco-teacher Tel:......

Email:...... Fax:…………………………………………..

Number of learners: M………… F…………… Number of teachers: M…………. F …………

Grades:...... Language of instruction:…………………………………..

Home language of most learners:…………………………………………………………………………………

Does your school have a WESSA or other NGO/Govt Eco-School supporter (name):

……………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The following best describes us (circle one):

city school township schooltown schoolclub rural school

farm schoolhome school

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List of Eco-Activities (past, present and future) Copy or make your own template if space is limited

Use this table to provide evidence of the continuation of your action projects and to reflect on possible new topics that could be covered for your reporting on Option 2

Year
project started / Topic/ Action Project / Years maintained / What possible other topics could be covered under this theme? Remember that environment includes the social and economic dimensions too. See Education for Sustainable Development
Example: Healthy Living / 2008 / Started a Permaculture food garden and celebrated World Food Day. Ongoing awareness campaigns about healthy eating, including a healthy tuck-shop and including some of the vegetables and herbs from our garden into the nutrition programme at school. Some of the produce from the garden is being sold and we have started a small eco-business which we hope to develop into an ongoing project / 2009
2010
2011
2012 / We have started a survey with learners linked to the subject of life orientation. We want to find out what the youth feel are the real threats to healthy living and lifestyles. We have noticed an increase in the cases of teenage pregnancies and in the use of drugs and alcohol amongst teens. Our action project could focus on this.
Healthy Living
Resource Use
Nature and Biodiversity
Local and Global Issues
Community and Heritage
Year
project started / Topic/ Action Project / Years maintained / What possible other topics could be covered under this theme? Remember that environment includes the social and economic dimensions too. See Education for Sustainable Development
Platinum 1
Platinum 2
Platinum 3
Platinum 4

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Provide Evidence of Maintaining your 5 Action Projects

(remember the KISS principle- keep it simple and straightforward)

In your Platinum Years you are essentially defending your International Flag, which means that you are proving that your school is a true Eco-School and an example of environmental excellence for all other schools to follow. If anyone should visit your school, they should not find leaking taps, energy being wasted or other unsustainable practices evident. It sometimes happens that projects started previously go “astray” and need to be restarted. As such your school should always show evidence of working towards keeping your International flag status and working.

You can provide this evidence by presenting:

  1. A collage of pictures of the state of each of your projects for the current year OR
  2. Write a short report which summarises your project from the previous year and provides a written explanation of how these projects have been developed over the course of the year OR
  3. Make a short video which explains to the viewer what projects you have at your school and how you are developing these on an ongoing basis OR
  4. Provide a report which has a sustainability plan for your school, that is, how you plan to keep your projects ongoing over time
  5. Provide copies of newsletters/ web portal information on action projects

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The Eco-Committee

Eco-School’s promote whole school development. You will need to show continued evidence of whole school involvement to achieve a Platinum award. The greater the involvement from the principal, the teaching, admin and support staff, the School Governing Board (SGB), the learners, their parents and the wider community, the better. Choose Option 2 (7 Step Improvement) and Improve on your Eco-Committee if you feel that this is needed. If you report well on how you have achieved this, it will be a great way for your school to achieve a Platinum award while strengthening your schools environmental management.

Names of Members (for current year)

List the members and their roles on the committee (or whom they represent). List the role of each member of the committee.

Record of Meetings(for current year)

Provide evidence of continued Eco-Committee meetings. Draw up a table or attach meeting agendas and minutes. Include the date of the meetings what issues were discussed and any decisions taken.

The Eco-Code

Please attach your Eco-Code to your portfolio. Use one of your Eco-Committee meetings to assess and reflect on the relevance of your Eco-Code and if this needs to be revised or improved upon. Again, renewing and going the extra mile to improve on your school’s Eco-Code can be a simple way for you to achieve a Platinum Award (Option 2- 7 Step Improvement). Remember, your Eco-code should be short, simple and achievable and should be known by all of the student body. This is the vision for your school and should encapsulate the ethos of the school from an environmental perspective. Your Eco-code should reflect what your school has achieved and continues to strive for in terms of environmental management and learning at the school

Indicate Clearly which Option you have chosen to report on

Description of Options / Please tick option chosen
Option 1 / Special Theme Focus: Water and/ or Food Security (water and/ or food security should be the focus of all environmental work planned over the year whilst still maintaining all your previous theme projects)
Option 2 / 7 Step improvement e.g. improve on one of your theme projects (revisit what you have done previously and improve on this work. e.g. redo one of the themes)
Option 3 / New Eco-School Mentorship (help another school or environmental club to join the Eco-Schools programme)

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Option 1 Template: Focus on Water and/or Food Security

Review of previous water/ food security focused projects (pre- 2013)
Planned Water/ Food Security Action Project for 2013
Term 1 / Term 2 / Term 3 / Term 4
Action Project Progress, Planning and Implementation
CAPS links per subject (attach this on a separate page) and indicate the subject and grade integration
Special Day celebrations- whole school involvement
Evidence of Water/ Food Security projects undertaken (attach on a separate page)
Lessons plans linked to water (1 per term- attach separately)
Reflections on water/ food security projects undertaken for the Special theme 2013

Option 2 Template: Improve on one or more of the seven steps

Review of School implementation of the 7 Step Eco-School framework
Planned “step” for Improvement e.g. Implement and take action on one of the themes / Our school will improve on our:
Describe how you plan to make these improvements
Term 1 / Term 2 / Term 3 / Term 4
Progress with Planning process. Provide evidence- this may include records of meetings, photographs etc.
Innovation: what can you share with other schools so that they can replicate what you have done?
Reflections on Improvements- What could you do better? What have you learnt?

Option 3 Template: Mentor another school or Eco-Club in implementing the Eco-Schools framework

Why have you chosen this option?
What is the name of the school/ eco-club that is being mentored? Please list their full contact details and the name of a contact person
Term 1 / Term 2 / Term 3 / Term 4
Record of meetings per term (you could use a separate sheet to record this)
What was discussed at each meeting? What conclusions were drawn?
How did you help the school to understand and implement the seven steps?
Did the school register as an Eco-School? Do they have future plans to register?
What worked/ did not work with respect to mentorship? Do you have any advice for future school mentors?

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Understanding the ‘Water and/ or Food Security’ Theme

Introduction:

The Platinum Guidelines for 2013 were focused on water and had many teaching and learning ideas and activities which you can incorporate into your 2014 action projects and lessons. If you have not received this in 2013 you can request a copy from the National Office or download this from the WESSA Eco-Schools webpage This section will focus on ideas that will help you to strengthen your focus on food security and community/ family farming. These are just “start up” ideas and you are encouraged to use your own local networks of support for further ideas and resources.

Food security refers to a situation in which individuals, households, communities and governments have access to sufficient and quality food. Unfortunately in Africa most people live in a state of food insecurity as they live in poverty and in fear of starvation. 3.1 million children die each year from poor nutrition (World Food Programme, 2013) and hunger kills more people than deaths from HIV, Malaria and TB combined. The reasons for this is not a lack of available food for the world’s population, but are more complex, as it relates to inequities and distribution of food, which is also related to water availability and distribution for crop production. In South Africa, commercial agriculture for food production relies on water intensive irrigation schemes and in terms of water sector usage, accounts for 60% of all water usage. There will be further strain on water availability for food security in the future as the irrigation strategy of South Africa has set a target of an increase of more than 50% of irrigated land (NWRS, 2013).