Thousands of pupils across
Leeds are celebrating Green Day and learning about ways to reduce their
environmental impact.
Kicking off on Friday 25 June, 16,000 pupils are taking part in activities designed to help them understand the impact of the built environment on climate change and to encourage them to go green at school and home. The lessons they learn will form an important part of everyone taking action to reduce Leeds' carbon emissions by 40% by 2020.
A total of 43 schools will be taking part in the day with events, projects, assemblies and activies continuing in to July. Organised by Education Leeds in partnership with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), this is the third consecutive year that Green Day has taken place. This year sees Leeds schools teaming up with neighbouring schools in Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale meaning an impressive 72,000 pupils will be taking part.
Events in Leeds are being marked with an official launch at Whitecote Primary School, Bramley. Activities planned for its 400 pupils include a recycled art project, a visit to a local organic farm to study vegetable growing and carry out a taste test and the launch of school ‘eco-monitors’ who will ensure lights and taps are turned off in school. There will also be a trial of the Leeds-specific board game ‘What’s Rubbish?’ - a fun recycling game for primary children aged between five and 10 years old, as well as an appearance by npower’s seven foot polar bear mascot, k’eyush.
Councillor Jane Dowson, executive board member for learning at Leeds City Council, said: “The importance of being green and learning how to have a positive influence on the world around us is increasingly important. The Leeds Schools Green Day is a fantastic way of educating children and young people about the environment and how to be eco-conscious.
“We are committed to increasing the sustainability of schools in Leeds to ensure the impact we have as a city on the environment is as low as possible. Teaching our children and young people about how they can help is a great way of spreading this important message into other aspects of their lives.”
Other activities taking place in schools across Leeds include walking
buses, pupils wearing green outfits for the day, environmentally-themed
assemblies, energy saving workshops and ‘no power hour/days’.
Chris Edwards, chief executive of Education Leeds, said: “It’s fantastic that so many schools are taking part in this year’s Green Day. There are some brilliant activities going on in schools and over 16,000 pupils in Leeds will learn about the environment and discover how they can help their schools and homes be as eco-friendly as possible.”
Each of the 43 participating schools have received a CABE green day
activity kit with ideas and suggestions for the day and have received
support and information from a range of Leeds based environmental
agencies and Leeds City Council.
Matt Bell, CABE’s director of education and external affairs, said: “You can always guarantee that schools in Leeds will take on the Green Day challenge with real enthusiasm, helping pupils understand the links between the built environment and climate change and see the critical role they have to play changing their school, their home and their community. All the schools do this with creativity and flair, in a way that encapsulates the spirit of Green Day”.
Green Day traditionally takes place on World Environment Day on 5 June but this year will happen on Friday 25 June to coincide with National Recycle week which takes place between 21 and 27 June.