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3.5 Schools for a Sustainable Environment Initiative
3.5.3 Design of the initiative
topic. These knowledge resources were developed to be used within the different learning areas in the RNCS curriculum.
2. Questions to guide discussion on local concerns and possibilities.
3. Investigative activities to find out about local issues and practices.
4. Ideas to try out sustainability practices.
5. Deliberation activities to reflect on the chosen sustainability practice in relation to risk-infused social-ecological systems.
Figure 3.20: Revised active learning framework underpinning the Handprint series (developed by O’ Donoghue 2009) that indicates the value of reading, talking about, finding out, trying out and deliberating change for effective learning
o Solutions;
o Importance of being responsible citizens; and o Youth being positive agents of change.
• Knowledge resources that explained and expanded themes raised in the story and were linked to relevant learning areas of the RNCS curriculum. (See appendix B for a list of these knowledge resources.)
• Investigation activities, including auditing water sources, historical investigation and water quality testing.
• A Boksburg catchment activity to facilitate 1) a better comprehension of the Boksburg Lake sub-catchment, 2) the spatial relationships of the different factors influencing the lake, and 3) creative solutions that could inform a school action project. It consisted of an A1 map of the Boksburg Lake sub-catchment;
photographs depicting different issues to be geographically located on the map; a model of Boksburg’s sub-catchment made from a coke bottle; cards depicting the main factors (sewage leaks, industrial effluent, mine dumps, littering and wetland dumping) negatively impacting Boksburg Lake, to be inserted on this model of Boksburg’s catchment; and knowledge resources to deepen understanding of the different issues and their possible solutions.
• Guidance for learners to engage in an action project and critically reflexive activities.
Another central event of the SSE initiative was the annual Boksburg Lake Day that complemented the resource pack in terms of design and aims. The concept behind this day grew collaboratively. The initial plan was to coordinate a range of investigative activities about Boksburg Lake that would be guided by the resource pack and led by teachers. The idea expanded to having a Boksburg Lake Week during which participating schools would take part in activities and media coverage would be organised. It was then envisaged to organise one high-impact, interactive day for all participating schools, hence the Boksburg Lake Day. The organisation and implementation was a considerable team effort involving much sponsorship, organisation and participation from Unilever, EMM, participating schools and NGOs such as WESSA, Randwater, the Boksburg Historical Association, Wildlands Trust, Green Office and the UCEWQ. The aims of the day were to: 1) increase applicable social-ecological systems knowledge, 2) encourage learners to become positive agents of change, and 3) generate public awareness and action to support the work the municipality was doing to rehabilitate the lake. Once a year, from 2009 till 2012, about 250 learners from the ten participating schools would spend a day at Boksburg Lake engaging in a variety of informative (e.g. Boksburg Lake’s history), investigative (e.g.
water quality testing) and action (e.g. making banners, clean-ups, tree planting) activities. These were based on the structure of the active learning framework and were designed to equip learners with the systems knowledge and passion to make a positive difference to Boksburg Lake and their local community. On the day, learners would also give a presentation that reflected their passion for Boksburg Lake; hand out statements to the municipality expressing their commitment to see the lake restored;
plant indigenous trees at the lake grounds and make banners that they waved during a march around the lake. During this march, they had the opportunity to pick up litter.
The event would be given high profile by the attendance of, for example, Miss Earth South Africa (2009), municipal representatives and the media. Figure 3.21 provides a visual representation of the day’s activities.
To sustain and broaden the impact of the Boksburg Lake Day an essay competition with participating learners on the problems and solutions for the lake was organised during 2009 and 2010; learners were encouraged to communicate their learning experience at school through, for example, a presentation (2009-2011); certificates of attendance were formally handed out to learners in 2010 and 2011, and participating schools were supported to become Eco-Schools (2010-2011). See text box 3.1 for a brief description of the Eco-Schools programme.
Box 3.1: A description of the Eco-Schools Programme
Eco-Schools is an international programme, led by the Foundation for Environmental Education, which works with schools to increase environmental sustainability, both through increasing an environmental focus within the curriculum as well as encouraging action. In South Africa, the Eco-Schools programme was initiated in 2003. WESSA is the implementing agent and there are now over 1 200 schools registered in the Eco-Schools programme (www.wessa.org.za). The South African programme is influenced by O’Donoghue’s active learning framework (Schudel 2012) that encourages knowledge acquisition, investigation, action and deliberation. It is designed around five themes to be incorporated into lesson planning, namely nature and biodiversity, resource use, culture and heritage, healthy living, and local and global issues (Eco-Schools Programme South Africa, 2009).
From 2010 the initiative expanded to a broader community focus by including faith communities as additional local institutions for mobilising and effecting positive change. Faith communities were chosen as they represent a broad spectrum of society, including industry, business, and teachers; play an important role in encouraging values and morals (Hitzhusen 2007); and can potentially draw local people back to Boksburg Lake through, for example, Sunday picnics, jumble sales and special
meetings with their leadership, handing out eco-theology knowledge resources to be used for sermon development and organising an Eco-Congregation workshop led by Kate Davies from the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI).
Figure 3.21: Visual representation of activities at the Boksburg Lake Days (2009 - 2012)