“This award launch is a dream come true. EcoSlate has been getting students future-ready from primary to K-12 for over 4 years now, There are a few green school awards in India but the EcoSlate-SSA differentiates itself by focusing on the broader challenge called sustainability” said Mo Polamar the CEO/co-founder of Climate Miles and training division EcoSlate.
While Climate Miles is the knowledge partner, i-dream is the implementation partner working with the host school Shalom Hills International School, Gurgaon.
Rohit Prakash from i-dream said “ After 4 years of working with schools, we wanted to focus on extending the reach of our work without losing the impact. Sustainable School Awards is a perfect platform for schools to learn, share and work towards building sustainable schools. We are proud to partner with Shalom Hills International School, Gurgaon (http://www.shalomhills.com), which has also been awarded as Gurgaon’s first Sustainable School for their work in the field of Carbon Foot printing, waste management, energy management etc.”
A total of 15 schools participated in the inauguration held on 25th April 2014, and are keen to be part of the program. The awards are aimed at encouraging schools to becoming sustainable. The process of judging will be largely based on student involvement; the exercises will be strategically designed with the recognition that in order to build a sustainable world the future generation has to get ready now.
The SSA not only rewards schools for their existing green initiatives but helps them set up gold-rated sustainability systems. All registered schools will get a chance to interact with idream/EcoSlate and benefit from its years of research, experience and training.
(For more information on idream, log onto www.simplydreams.com)
Members from Shalom Hills International School, Gurgaon shall also handhold other schools and guide them towards building a sustainable school.
Dr. Lily George, Managing Director Shalom Hills Group of Schools said, “This platform will foster a sense of ownership of the environment in children and develop their sense of personal and collective responsibility for the care of the environment. This indeed is a stepping stone to a bigger and more fundamental change in our schools, homes and wider communities. “
The focus of the awards this year is on waste & energy
Waste - Schools are to put in place of a long-term, effective waste management system. This would encourage schools to handle their own waste efficiently while acting as a leaning platform for their students on responsible waste disposal.
Energy - Schools are required to conduct an inventory of all the electrical appliances on campus, understand how they operate and explore solutions to optimize or reduce the overall electricity consumption. Thus helping students put a number to the impact of energy consumption thereby encouraging them to make better, more informed choices in the future.
During the coming months, between July and November, expert evaluators will visit the registered schools and begin their analysis of the schools’ progress. In time, schools participating in these awards will not only have set up systems in their school for managing both waste and energy but will also be recognized for their efforts by India’s leading Sustainability Consulting organization – Climate Miles.
The Grand Finale and award ceremony is scheduled to take place in the month of December 2014.
Participating Schools
1. Shiv Nadar School
2. Manav Rachna School, Sec-46
3. G.D Goenka School, Sec-48
4. K.R Mangalam World School
5. Scottish High International School
6. Golden Heights School
7. Ryan International School, Sec 40
8. Excelsior American School
9. Blue Bells Public School
10. Ryan International School, Sohna Road
11. Shalom Presidency School
12. G. D Goenka Public School
13. Kendriya Vidyalaya, AFS Gurgaon
14. Amity International School, Sec-43
15. Delhi Public School, Sushant Lok
