Local students urged to tackle environmental issues

A unique project that enables students throughout Northern Ireland tackle pressing environmental issues within their own school community has been launched at Beechlawn School in Hillsborough.

The Our World Schools Challenge will see pupils, teachers and other members of the school community demonstrating how they can transform parts of their school to become more ecologically sustainable. The winning school will receive a grant of £15,000 from the DOE and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Our World is a joint project between WWF and the UK Government which offers young people the opportunity to add their voice to the debates on environment and poverty in the lead up to next year’s World Summit on Sustainable Development, which will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in September 2002. The Johannesburg Summit is the ten year anniversary of the original Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.

Beechlawn School has already won numerous awards in the environmental field. It has been Area Winner of the Esso Wildlife Competition on five occasions, as well as National Winner in 1999. It won Eco-awards in 1998 and again in 2001 when pupils developed an ‘eco-code’ which covers all aspects of the school environment, including areas such as energy, litter and water.

Environment Minister, Sam Foster commented: "Students at Beechlawn School have already demonstrated what can be achieved through education for sustainable development. I call on all schools in Northern Ireland to take up the challenge and show us what you can do to tackle environment and poverty issues in your own school." (CL)