Today's young adults have grown up in the midst of a changing environment and understand that climate change and global warming is one of the most important topics of our era. For students at GIIS, it is more than just a topic of discussion - they recognise that it's a societal issue that is going to impact their generation significantly. Particularly, as they grow into adults and assume leadership roles.
As a result, our students are passionate about protecting the planet and willingly engage in sustainable practices. While students in both campuses in Singapore are involved in green practices to boost the sustainability movement, here we get to learn more about the green initiatives implemented by our GIIS East Coast Campus students.
At the GIIS East Coast Campus, our administrators, staff members and students have implemented a variety of innovative green initiatives. Regardless of the size and scope of each programme, they are all designed to improve the environment, reduce the carbon footprint at the local level and create a sense of responsibility among students to live a sustainable lifestyle.
Some of our green initiatives include:
● Planting and maintaining a student-run organic garden. This garden contains more than 60 plant species and is filled with herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers. Students work to plant, maintain and harvest the garden throughout the growing season.
This popular community project not only supports the sustainability efforts of the school but also gives students the opportunity to get outside, immerse themselves in nature and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits that come with gardening.
● Participating in aerobic composting. Every few months, our student sustainability team, under the guidance of Senior Science teacher and the Sustainability ambassador at GIIS East coast campus, Dr. Nidhi Goyal, works together to create compost in perforated compost bins.
Organic waste, like fruit and vegetable peels, dry leaves etc, is collected, converted into manure and used in gardens across the GIIS East Coast Campus. By teaching students the art of composting, they understand that waste can be recycled into something valuable, and it shows students how to practically implement it.
● Creating an e-waste collection system. E-waste, also known as techwaste, is one of the most overlooked forms of waste. Thousands upon thousands of electronic devices are thrown into landfills every year as people continue to upgrade their favourite devices.
These used electronic devices are filled with valuable metals that can be reused and recycled. Our students have collected more than 100 kilograms of e-waste and have prepared it for recycling in Singapore.
● Scheduling beach cleaning days throughout the year. Once every month, different grade levels are assigned beach cleaning days. Teachers escort the students to local beaches and assist them as they pick up litter. It helps them see the real-world impact of litter while also giving students an opportunity to beautify their community.
From promoting waste recycling in Singapore to creating compost on the school campus, our teachers and students are always looking for new ways to promote environmental sustainability and develop new practices that will ultimately become their normal routine.
This way, climate change becomes less of an overwhelming societal issue that is too large to address on the individual level and more of a responsible course of life that can easily be managed through simple daily routines.
At GIIS, we are proud of the sustainability initiatives that we have implemented, but we also recognise that more work is required. Looking to the future, we have more projects and ideas in the works. For example, we are working on a biodiversity mapping project that allows students and teachers to observe, identify and record bird, butterfly and insect species that are seen on campus.
The goal is to better understand the species that exist on campus and then identify new ways to attract additional species to the area to ultimately increase the region's biodiversity. In addition, we are looking to grow our composting efforts, expand our organic garden and host more recycling drives.
GIIS has received many awards for its sustainability efforts and has been widely recognised for its green initiatives. While we are proud of our achievements, we understand the need for continued commitment towards caring for the world around us. Therefore, we nurture green champions right from preschool and continue through secondary school.
If you are keen to know more about GIIS East Coast Campus and the kind of learning opportunities your child will have in the school, book a campus tour.
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Selina D'souza is a Senior Communications specialist with 10+ years of marketing communications experience in the B2B and B2C IT and Education sector. She is a passionate curator of good content, believes that schools can be a place of creativity and innovation if the right mindset and practices are adopted, and is always looking for more sustainable lifestyle choices.