School
Esprit Scholengroep Amsterdam
WSA section
Vision
Involved
The Joint Participation Council, consisting of parents, teachers and a single student.
Good Practice
An initiative proposal was written by the sustainability committee for the joint participation council in order to give more substance to the sustainability ambition and provide guidance for the schools. This initiative proposal contributed to Esprit Scholengroep being one of the first PO-VO school groups to appoint a sustainability coordinator.
View the initiative proposal here!
Why is it important to become sustainable as a school group?
Education is not only about preparing for the future but also shaping the future. Because our human relationship to nature and the future of our students are so clearly intertwined, it is important as an educational institution to take responsibility, set a good example and teach students how to treat our planet in a healthy way. Ideally, students who come out of our schools are not only global citizens but also planetary citizens. That means they have the will and capacity to act in an informed, responsible, ethical and ecologically wise way (inspired by Teachers for Climate's Transformative Education Model).
Science is crystal clear regarding the magnitude of the sustainability issue we find ourselves in. The most recent IPCC report makes no bones about it: our human society is causing climate change and is at enormous risk. The climate is changing at such a rapid pace that we can speak of a climate crisis. The more the earth warms, the more we will suffer from changing weather patterns, sea level rise, ocean acidification, droughts, floods, wildfires and hurricanes with the additional effects of species extinction, food security and climate refugees.
According to the IPCC, the negative impact on people's physical and mental 3 health is convincingly measurable. Even in Amsterdam we do not escape the dance. For example, the air quality in Amsterdam is the worst of all major cities in the Netherlands. In short, it is clear that there is a scientifically demonstrable link between the way we live, the health of the planet and the future of our students. Young people also see this problem. In a large-scale global study of children and youth, researchers at the University of Bath show that climate anxiety and dissatisfaction with government responses are widespread among children and youth in countries around the world. By recognizing the gravity of the crisis we currently find ourselves in, we can ensure action and reduce the risks that lead to even further global warming. As a school group, we have a large circle of influence that can be used to further initiate the social snowball effect that is so desperately needed.
Stay tuned!
The initiative proposal of the GMR of Esprit Scholengroep Amsterdam is one of the good practices of the SustainaBul VO. Do you also want to take sustainable steps at your school? Join the SustainaBul VO network via the website or contact project manager Eline Koopman. Stay updated on learning for sustainable development in secondary education? Sign up for the network VO for Tomorrow!
