Enviroschool Award Scheme

In 2007 Unlimited won an Enviroschools Bronze Award. This year and next we hope to win a Silver Award.

We take seriously our initiatives and challenges to make our school a more sustainable and ecologically stable environment.

Enviroschool Awards

Enviroschools is part of a growing community of schools in New Zealand and internationally who want to make a difference to our environment.

What is the Enviroschools Awards about?

The Enviroschools Awards are available to all schools. It is designed as an incentive scheme for schools to become actively involved in environmental education and to undertake environmental initiatives that will make a real difference in their communities.

The awards scheme works by involving the whole school - students, teachers, non-teaching staff, board of trustees and members of the local community - parents, local councils and businesses.

Participation in the Enviroschools Awards scheme will be an important step in guiding the community to adopt a sustainable lifestyle, one that will improve and enhance the environment for present and future generations.

What is the purpose?

To encourage schools towards becoming a sustainable community incorporating best environmental practices that will carry over into home/everyday life such as; reducing waste, conserving energy, improving air and water quality, protecting and enhancing our biodiversity (plants, animals, ecosystems) or reducing our car trips.

What the scheme offers Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti?

• An opportunity to make environmental education a central part of school life.
• Enriched and integrated educational experiences.
• An opportunity to develop young people’s decision making skills.
• Potential for financial savings.
• A chance to share ideas with other schools.
• Access to a network of support agencies.
• A national award.
• An opportunity to become part of a global movement.

The Awards

There are three Awards:

• Bronze
• Silver
• Green-Gold

The Green-Gold award is a prestigious award requiring a commitment to continuous improvement towards sustainability. A framed certificate and flag/banner is awarded to each school.

Creating a sustainable environment

Environmental education is much more than the core curriculum. It is about how we facilitate learning. It is about what we do to look after our physical environment, how we try to reduce our impact on the environment and how we interact with each other - education for the environment.

Awards structure

The Enviroschools Awards scheme is made up of seven elements grouped around four key areas of school life. In some regions there may be a requirement to participate in a local government or community project.

You must complete the elements for two key areas at Bronze, three key areas for Silver and all key areas for Green-Gold.