FEE Education Awards: Apply now!
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is excited to announce the launch of its new FEE Education Awards, created to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of teachers and educators who are leading the way in environmental education. The awards aim to highlight outstanding efforts that inspire students to become environmentally conscious citizens and promote sustainable development.
The FEE Education Awards include two categories:
FEE Teachers Award: This award honours teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to integrating environmental education into their classrooms and communities. These educators inspire their students to take action and lead by example, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental challenges.
Lesson Plan Competition: This competition invites educators to submit innovative lesson plans that incorporate environmental themes and engage students in creative, hands-on learning. Winning lesson plans will be featured as best practices on FEE’s platforms, providing inspiration for other educators worldwide.
If you are passionate about environmental education and have made a significant impact, we encourage you to apply! This is an incredible opportunity to showcase your work and inspire others to join the movement for a greener future.
Applications are now open! For more information on how to apply, visit FEE’s Education Awards page.
Eco-Schools in 101 Countries
As we approach our 30th anniversary in 2024, we're proud to celebrate the incredible growth of Eco-Schools, now reaching 101 countries worldwide with Azerbaijan the latest country to start the programme!
From classrooms to communities, Eco-Schools has been empowering students with hands-on, sustainability education for three decades.
Together, we are building a greener future, with schools in 79 countries through FEE member organizations and 22 countries through International Schools. Here’s to 30 years of action-based learning and global impact!
The latest addition country to establish Eco-Schools is Azerbaijan, with the national organisation EkoSfera coordinating Eco-Schools nationally.
“As a pioneering Azerbaijani NGO with over 25 years of experience in environmental education and advocacy in the region, “EkoSfera” Social-Ecological Center is deeply honored to join the Foundation for Environmental Education as its 101st member.
This partnership represents a remarkable opportunity for us to amplify our efforts in promoting environmental awareness and action through education, building on our extensive experience and deep-rooted commitment.
We look forward to collaborating with fellow members to inspire and empower learners of all ages to become active contributors to a sustainable future. Together, we can cultivate a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will drive positive change in Azerbaijan and beyond””
Pramod (FEE Senior Director of Education) with Azerbaijan EkoSfera Team
👉Head over to our Anniversary page to check out how different countries are doing their own celebrations!
New partnership ensures funding for new Eco-School educational materials
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and PPG have announced a two-year collaboration to expand climate education and empower future environmental leaders
Through this collaboration, PPG (NYSE: PPG) will provide a $150,000 community engagement grant to enhance FEE’s efforts in promoting climate change education as part of UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership (GEP).
This generous grant from PPG will support FEE’s mission to address the urgent need for climate change education in schools around the world. As part of PPG's broader commitment to invest $5 million in environmental sustainability education by 2030, this partnership will help expand FEE’s reach and impact in classrooms globally.
The funding will facilitate the creation of new educational materials, including Eco-Schools handbooks, instructional videos, online courses, and teacher training materials. These resources will be made available in multiple languages—including English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and French—to ensure global accessibility and impact.
For more information, read the full press release on FEE’s website.
ISSD NGO launches Eco-Schools programme in Armenia
The Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) member organisation in Armenia, “ISSD” Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities” NGO is launching Eco-Schools programme thanks to the financial support of Synopsys, Inc.
On March 28, 2024, ISSD announced the official launch of the programme during its 7th anniversary celebration organized in Yerevan, Armenia, which was attended by the representatives of the government, donor organizations, local and international partners, schools and others. During the official launch, the co-founder of ISSD and the programme manager of Eco-Schools programme Irina Mkrtchyan, presented the programme, its mission and purpose, as well as the benefits the programme will bring to Armenia. As the team starts the establishment and growth of the Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation programme in Armenia, it has targeted 50 schools in Armavir region and the capital city – Yerevan that will undergo a set of trainings and other activities.
ISSD has also started raising awareness about the programme, and organized an introductory presentation of the programme during the launch of its environmental game, developed in partnership with School #194, during which the programme coordinator presented the benefits of the programme and planned actions for 2024.
The mission of ISSD NGO is to promote sustainable development through innovative projects in waste management, agriculture, education, circular economy, business, and women empowerment. ISSD was established in 2017 and since its operation the organization has implemented over 20 projects across the country serving over 310,000 people and partnering with over 800 organizations and educational institutions. ISSD follows these values in its everyday activities:
Environmental Care: We prioritize preserving Armenia's environment.
Education & Empowerment: We educate and empower for change.
Innovation for Impact: We innovate to solve environmental, social and economic challenges.
Community Collaboration: We unite communities for a bigger impact.
Accountability & Transparency: We're responsible governors of the resources.
Equality & Inclusion: We promote gender equality and inclusion.
Sustainability Focus: We work for long-lasting impact.
ISSD is working in 4 main domains:
· Environment and Agriculture
· Education and Capacity Building
· Financial Facilitation
· Community Development & Citizen participation
Eco-Schools Conference in Prague - Let’s change the climate!
Earlier this year, TEREZA (FEE member in Czech Republic) held their annual Eco-Schools Conference with 100 young people joining in person and even more following online. The conference targeted key shortcomings of traditional education and its approach to climate education.
Six young people each had 8 minutes to explain the things they are doing for the climate, how are they dealing with frustrations, and how they overcome obstacles. This was followed by a interactive panel discussion and participants had lots of opportunity to talk to the speakers and each other during long breaks.
Reflecting on the importance of these kind of youth events, the team at TEREZA highlight that:
“Talking directly to young generations about climate change is valuable: it allows us to transfer respect, validation and information we want to give them. That is why we focused our conference directly on young audiences aged 12–19 instead of teachers. Very soon we realised that this will be done best if young people participate in the organisation as well. Who else will more authentically speak the language of a 19-year-old and be more credible to them, than another teenager?”
Celebrating the Winners of Eco-School Estonia's International Photo Competition!
In the autumn of 2023, the Estonian EcoSchools programme held an international photo competition. The competition was organised in cooperation with the “Growing with Your Food” project which is part of the activities of the 2024 European Capital of Culture Tartu.
The competition was open to children, youth and adults, and invited people to capture moments in the garden, to show others the magic and the pain of growing food. Individual photos and photo essays from educational and community gardens, as well as home gardens, were welcome. More than 1,100 photos were submitted from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Georgia, Montenegro and Wales.
The gallery of the winning photos can be found HERE.
During the project, two guidebooks have also been created for Estonian schools and kindergartens. The first guidebook "From Autumn to Autumn - How to Create a Learning Garden" is a step-by-step guide on practical gardening in all areas, including for example composting. Currently only available in Estonian, we’ve included it here as a source of inspiration. The other guidebook is a methodological collection of gardening games, creative and laboratory tasks and practical materials which to use in a classroom. It can be viewed in Estonian here.
Congratulations to all the winners and this fantastic initiative!
A Green Playground - Naturally!
Check out this inspiring video about greening school grounds by the Provinciaal Natuurcentrum Limburg, a partner of MOS, FEE's member in Flanders, Belgium.