Creating Change

The holistic, long-term Enviroschools journey creates fertile ground for a range of learning and action.

When tamariki/ students connect with their place and its people, and then plan, design and take action, they are creating change.

Through this empowering experience, they will become life-long change-makers.  The collective exploration is based in the concept of ako, where all participants are simultaneously learners and teachers, and everybody learns from each other.  It is a process of co-creation between people and all of the elements and energies around us. Caring for our place and the whole planet becomes a living curriculum where skills and competencies are gained through experience and mahi within meaningful community settings.

In the following stories you can see how Enviroschools participants are learning with their heads, hands and hearts – connecting with nature, exploring indigenous wisdoms, forming relationships with tangata whenua, collaborating with people in their diverse communities, and finding out about their own qualities and passions.  Learning and action in Enviroschools does not just have environmental outcomes but social, cultural and economic benefits too.

Growing a Connected, Caring Community at St Teresa’s School in Featherston

A few years ago, St Teresa’s School recognised that part of its grounds wasn’t being used for learning or play. With support from the Enviroschools process, the whole school community came together to imagine what the space could be. Through vision mapping, students and teachers...

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Held by Place, Connected through Purpose – Welcoming our new Facilitators

At Te Māhurehure Cultural Marae, 16 new Enviroschools facilitators gathered for three days of connection, learning, and shared purpose. Whakawhanaungatanga grew, ideas flowed, and a collective haerenga began - connections formed, and the journey continues.

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Hands on learning and action in urban streams in Te Whanganui a Tara

Through a series of events, tamariki in Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington) have made discoveries about their local waterways, the creatures (fish, tuna, kōura and macroinvertebrates) that call them home, and have been taking hands-on action to assist with migration - often through a network...

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Supporting Teachers to Embed Sustainability Across the Curriculum

Building whole-school engagement in sustainability can be challenging within an already crowded curriculum. At Vardon Primary in Hamilton, Lead Enviro Teacher and Literacy Lead, Arista Eslin, developed a practical approach to integrate sustainability learning across all 16 classrooms. Her strategy centred on aligning teaching resources...

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How a project at Maramarua School cultivated an Envirogroup

During an Enviroschools focussed staff meeting, staff at Maramarua School identified key values and practices evident within their school that reflected the Enviroschools Guiding Principles. Recognising some of their strengths provided momentum for a year-long, student-led project that brought these values to life and strengthened...

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