INTERVIEW WITH STÉPHANIE BENEY
TERAGIR, France
City where the organisation is based: Paris
Number of staff in the organisation/working with Eco-Schools: 21/5
What do you prefer?
- Dogs or cats? Cats
- Sea or mountains? Sea with big waves
- Chocolate or chips? Black chocolate
- Film or book? Film
- City or countryside? I like the countryside but cities fascinate me
- Favourite word or phrase: Yeah, yeah, yeah, résiste!
- If you could sing one song on a music competition show on television, what would it be?Résiste –France Gall
- What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
Last month it snowed a lot in Paris. This gave rise to quite a few funny scenes. I saw skiers at the gates (closed) of the Buttes Chaumont Park (the one we crossed together during the NOM) and even adventurers who came with their inflatable boat ready to hit the slopes of the park. I like these absurd scenes that sometimes mix with our quotient.
A high point of the programme, hopes and visions
The programme is a fantastic way to educate young people about citizenship and give them knowledge and skills so that they can make their own choices and take full part in the life of their own space. Our role is to help them understand the increasingly complex world in which we live while giving them the desire to act, to innovate, to imagine solutions for their school, their city and the world.
Today in France, teachers are adopting sustainable development as teaching support. Eco-Ecole provides them with a framework and supports them in their approach.
Activities by TERAGIR
We organise training and workshops with teachers: The Eco-Schools Network playtime! Teachers need to share their experiences and learn from each other.
An inspiring story by TERAGIR
It is a middle school located in a deprived neighbourhood of an urbanised area in the suburbs of Paris. This college has chosen to join the Eco-Schools programme for two reasons:
- Propose a unifying project and motivate teachers
- To improve the school atmosphere
The school chose to work on the Theme of Biodiversity. Soon, students realised that it is nonexistent in the neighborhood. They decided to create a garden and with the help of the City Council they invested in a space that had no function and in which there was a lot of waste.
Teachers are gradually finding that most students have never left the neighborhood to explore other parts of the city. Yet, less than 3 kilometers away, is a different landscape with vegetation and a river. Nature outings are organised. Parents are invited to participate. Because of Eco-Schools, these students gained in confidence and allowed themselves to project themselves in their city and in their lives.
Today the middle school garden is a real place to live and the diversity of vegetables reflects the cultural diversity of the neighborhood.
