Education

Celebrating Peterborough’s eco-education achievements  

At schools across Peterborough there is an air of anticipation, as preparations get underway for one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Robin Eagle explains how the upcoming annual Peterborough Eco Education Awards offer a fantastic opportunity to highlight schools’ green achievements

Did you know that Peterborough is one of the UK’s highest performing cities for environmental education and engagement? The independent charity Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) is leading the way with a new eco framework for schools – embedding knowledge of sustainability issues into classes to inspire the next generation of forward-thinking students. PECT’s Peterborough Eco Education Awards (PEEA), sponsored by Skanska, has been held annually since 2010, and will be taking place again this June. The event is an opportunity to showcase the excellent Eco Education project work that takes place in Peterborough schools, to share best practice and celebrate their achievements.

In the run-up to the awards, pupils from across the city will be busy developing projects which demonstrate their commitment to the environment, ready for the awards ceremony. All schools with pupils aged 3-18 years in Peterborough are invited to attend, culminating in a mix of students from across the city. ‘The PEEA’s provide an opportunity for the pupils and teachers to celebrate their successes and share ideas with each other,’ explains Jill Foster, PECT’s Environmental Education Coordinator. ‘The pupils’ enthusiasm and excitement about their projects is infectious. You can’t help but end the day smiling.’

Last year’s event, held at Nene Park Academy, saw 19 schools represented, over 100 pupils in total. The projects were grouped into Peterborough Eco Framework themes: health and happiness, equity and economy, culture and community, land use and wildlife, sustainable water, local and sustainable food, sustainable materials, sustainable transport, zero waste, and zero carbon. While the projects were being judged, the pupils took part in a whole range of eco activities, games, competitions and food tasting. The pupils themselves also got involved in judging through the ‘Eco Factor Award’. Each school had two voting slips to choose the most informative display from the day. Peterborough schools make a significant contribution towards the city’s aspiration of becoming the UK’s Environment Capital.

The PEEAs have helped trigger a growing movement of motivating young students in matters of environment and sustainability. For example, the Peterborough DNA scheme runs a Smart Supper event that provides a platform for pupils to share concepts for solving the city’s environmental challenges. The range of events on offer helps to provide younger generations with a voice and is setting Peterborough apart nationally from other urban areas. This year’s PEEAs are set to be hosted by the new City of Peterborough Academy (COPA). For a new academy like COPA to be so quickly involved and eager to host the Eco Education awards highlights not only the value of the event itself but also the importance with which environmental education is held within the city as a whole. The countdown for the event has begun…

Find out more…
PEEA 2015 will be at the City of Peterborough Academy in June. For more information on the Peterborough Eco Framework for schools please contact Jill Foster at PECT on 01733 866440 or email . For further details about Peterborough Environment City Trust, visit www.pect.org.uk

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