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Balkan: from a War Massacre Site to a Sustainable School

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The elementary school Vladimir Nazor, in Croatia, is now “The Blue Economy Happy School “.

It took three years between the formulation of the idea and the reality. Students, parents and the school leadership wanted to overcome once and for all the traumas inflicted by the Balkan War by transforming their dilapi dated building into an example from which the world can learn.

Their project proposal received in 2018 the Sustainability Prize of the Emirate-based Foundation honoring Sheikh Zayed, the Founder of the United Arab Emirates. The $100,000 award money kickstarted a revolutionary transformation that mobilized a total of €700,000 thanks to additional support from the Zadar County and the European Union.

Now a 30 kW solar power plant supplies electricity for LED lighting and solar backpacks can be used by students on field trips. An ultrafast, super-secure and energy saving internet operates on light (LiFi), the first in Croatia and one of the first in Europe. An electric vehicle powered by the solar provides for all transport needs for the school, especially the kitchen. When the school is closed for weekends and holidays then all power is distributed to the local community.

Leonarda Skara

Students are now proud of their school, an infrastructure that was first built in 1876. They wish to create a portfolio of new businesses, securing a future for their community that already harbors the largest organic olive orchard in Croatia. They do not wait to take initiative after graduation and created a student cooperative “Maslina” selling olive oil from the school gardens. Now they are ready to convert the 30 kg of clippings per tree into 15 kg of mushrooms generating more income and job opportunities.  “We want to have a future right here at home” commented Leonarda Skara who went to Abu Dhabi to collect the Prize and who is leading the students in their enthused transformation of the war torn region.

The success story of the Vladimir Nazor Elementary and Middle School in Škabrnja will serve as an inspiration for all village schools around the world demonstrating that a new future is possible even when the dramas of the past are hard to accept nor forget. A video documenting this transformation will be translated into five UN languages and will be distributed through a video and text to the global network of Zayed Sustainability Prize schools.

”The Ministry of Science and Education is happy that the students and employees of the Vladimir Nazor Elementary School, from the small Zadar municipality of Škabrnja, demonstrated their resolve to embrace the future”, said Vesna Šerepac, Director of Education at the Ministry of Science and Education. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prof. Gunter Pauli, known as “The Steve Jobs of Sustainability” representing The Zayed Sustainabilty Prize where he serves as a member of the committee; the Prefect of Zadar County Božidar Longin; Prof Ivan Šimuni Head of Education for Zadar county; and Darko Parić CARNET Public Administration co operation advisor.

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Earth Foundation: looking for university students mentors for the Earth Prize

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The Earth Foundation is looking for university students interested in involving as mentors for the young people applying the Earth Prize. Becoming an Earth Prize Mentor is a unique opportunity for university students to share and expand their knowledge on environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship, by advising participants in The Earth Prize, a $200,000 global youth environmental sustainability competition for students between the ages of 13 and 19.

Mentors will contribute to the development of students’ innovative project proposals by offering them guidance on their ideas and answering their questions. Mentors who will have demonstrated the highest levels of engagement will be given the chance to work individually with one of the ten The Earth Prize Finalists.

Each year, the most engaged mentor, as voted by the The Earth Prize participants, will be recognized with the Mentor of the Year award and a $12,500 prize.

All mentors will become part of The Earth Prize Alumni Association, a community of inspiring individuals and organizations offering mentorship, networking, internships, and professional placement opportunities.
Mentors  will have access to a unique network of entrepreneurs thanks to The Earth Foundation’s incubator partnerships and they will be able to connect with inspiring new start-ups leading the way towards environmental sustainability.
Mentoring for the The Earth Prize offers an excellent opportunity to develop and showcase transferable skills such as project management, problem-solving, and consulting. Each mentor will receive a certificate upon completion.
All mentors will have access to The Earth Prize learning platform featuring bespoke online materials on environmental issues, interviews with activists and social entrepreneurs, and real-world practical skill training on how to effect change.

Joining The Earth Prize as a mentor allow to actively contribute to projects striving to make a positive impact on the environment and to serve as a role model for younger students, inspiring them to become future changemakers.

Application will close June 30th.  Fill the form here to become a mentor.

 

 

 

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UNESCO: environmental education must be a core curriculum component by 2025

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The Unesco World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, followed online by over 10,000 viewers, was organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany and the German Commission for UNESCO as advisory partner.

Over 80 ministers and vice ministers and 2,800 education and environment stakeholders committed to taking concrete steps to transform learning for the survival of our planet at the end of a three-day virtual World Conference held from 17 to 19 May.

UNESCO has called for Education for Sustainable Development to be a core component of all education systems at all levels by 2025. The Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development outlines a range of policies to transform learning encompassing teaching, learning, professional training and civic engagement. It also highlights the need to implement Education for Sustainable Development with focus on cognitive skills, social and emotional learning, collaboration skills, problem solving, resilience-building.

«We need training for sustainable development not to be a privilege but accessible to all people. The success of the Education for Sustainable Development programme for 2030 will bring us closer to all the SDGs» said German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her welcoming address, describing Germany’s broad network of partners working on sustainability at all levels of education and training.

Laurent Fabius, who presided COP21 where the Paris Agreement was sealed, stated the «fight against climate change begins at school.» He recalled commitments in the Paris Agreement to education, and called for increased efforts to improve teacher training on ESD and increase financing. «2021 is the year in which we will overcome the pandemic and embark on a sustainable development model for the future that must include ESD. If we miss this occasion, we will lose decades. This is a race against the clock.”»

The voices of young people were given a platform throughout the Conference, as those leading the call for change so that they can #LearnForOurPlanet.

The adoption of the Berlin Declaration will create momentum for the implementation of ESD for 2030 Roadmap – the framework for this decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Every UNESCO Member State will be asked to create a network of actors who together can implement the ambitious vision for education.

From Berlin, 2021 will provide key opportunities for governments to apply this commitment, including the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

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Frontiers of Knowledge Awards 2021

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The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards, undertaken in collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), recognize and reward world-class research and artistic creation, prizing contributions of singular impact for their originality and significance.

These are the categories

·   Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics)

·   Biology and Biomedicine

·   Information and Communication Technologies

·   Ecology and Conservation Biology

·   Climate Change

·   Economics, Finance and Management

·   Humanities and Social Sciences

·   Music and Opera

Award content: 400,000 euros, a diploma and a commemorative artwork in each of their eight categories.

Candidates: One or more natural persons of any nationality, without limitation of number, that have made independent or convergent contributions to a given advance. The awards are also open to scientific or cultural organizations that can be credited with exceptional contributions to scientific knowledge, cultural creation or the fight against climate change.

Awards may not be granted posthumously.

Nominations will be submitted by scientific or artistic societies, public or private R&D centers, hospital departments and biomedical research centers, schools of music, orchestras, public agencies and scientific, cultural and environmental organizations, and any other organizations stated in the call conditions.

Information and enquiries: awards-info@fbbva.es

The closing date for submissions is June 30, 2021, at  23:00 GMT.

Click here for further information and full entry conditions

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Zayed Sustainability Prize 2022 Expands Global Reach with Submissions from Record 151 Countries

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Following a six-month submissions phase amidst the prevailing restrictions imposed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering global award in sustainability, has officially closed entries for its 2022 awards. With a remarkable 4,000 applications received, the Prize marked a notable 68.5% increase in submission entries compared to the previous cycle.

Attracting submissions from a record 151 countries, representing over three quarters of the world’s countries, the Prize proves to be truly global in its reach and impact. This includes a significant number of entries from innovative, knowledge-based economies, all hoping to have their world-changing solutions and technologies recognised and scaled amidst a rapidly evolving global landscape.

The submissions for the upcoming awards, to be held in January 2022, reflect the current global climate in the lead up to COP26 and in the wake of post-pandemic recovery, with Food (1,201) and Health (879) as the top categories to attract a high number of pioneering solutions, followed by Energy (759) and Water (627). With 534 submissions, the Global High Schools category is perhaps one of the most inspiring results as completing entries in the face of extensive disruption and school closures is a clear sign of the global youth’s commitment to a sustainable future.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Director General of the Prize, said: “As the international community continues to unite around ambitious climate action in the lead up to COP26, the high level of participation registered this year further demonstrated that creative sustainable solutions can come from every part of the world, and importantly can deliver tangible economic benefits along with social progress.”

Since its launch in 2008, the US$3 million Prize has, directly and indirectly, transformed the lives of over 352 million people across 150 countries. Its global impact continues to grow, as it further catalyses humanitarian outreach and sustainable development. Each category winner receives a prize fund of US$600,000. The Global High Schools category winners split the amount among six high schools from six world regions, each receiving up to US$100,000.

The winners of the 2022 awards will be announced at the Prize’s awards ceremony that will take place during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in January 2022

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Earth Prize: a $200,000 environmental sustainability competition for students

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Great opportunities for students and teachers committed to environmental issues: the Earth Prize is here! The Earth Prize is an environmental sustainability competition open to teenage students everywhere.  It will recognize the students and schools with the best solutions to accelerate positive change towards environmental sustainability, as judged by The Earth Prize Adjudicating Panel.

Every participant will engage with original bespoke materials and get personalized mentorship from university students. They will also have the opportunity to interact with our world-renowned Ambassadors and showcase their solutions to a global audience.

The winning solution will have real-world impact potential, and the winning team will receive $100,000 (from a $200,000 total prize), to be split between their school and the team members.

The registration phase runs from 1st September to 31st October. Students and supervisors are required to register for The Earth Prize using the online platform.

Upon completing registration, teams and their supervisors will be granted access to bespoke online learning material, mentoring by university students (“The Earth Prize Mentors’’), and the portal where they will submit their Registration Confirmation.
Read all the participation guidelines here

The Earth Prize is a multi-phase competition: during the submission phase (1st November 2021 – 31st January 2022) students will submit their Fresh Ideas. Then, the Earth Prize Scholars will be are announced (February 2022) and the top ten teams will are selected and announced. After a social media engagement campaign the final idea will be presented to the Adjudicating Panel. The Earth Prize Ceremony will be Saturday, 26th March 2022 when the the Earth Prize Winner and 3 Runners-up will be announced.

The team recognized as “The Earth Prize Winner” will be provided with a USD 100,000 prize. Fifty percent (50%) of the prize will be granted to the team’s school to be used in a project focusing on environmental sustainability, and fifty percent (50%) as an educational scholarship grant to be split evenly amongst the team members.

Three teams will be recognized as “The Earth Prize Runner-up” whose schools will be awarded with a USD 25,000 prize each.  One prize of USD 12,500 will be awarded to The Earth Prize Educator of the Year. And one prize of USD 12,500 will be awarded to The Earth Prize Mentor of the Year.

The Prize is organised by the Earth Foundation, founded in 2020 in Geneva (Switzerland), to inspire, educate, mentor, and empower students, schools, researchers, and young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to tackle environmental challenges. Through its initiatives The Earth Foundation strives to build its very own ecosystem.

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Prague: flying to a more sustainable airport

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Prague Airport welcomes WEEC delegates with major improvements in terms of sustainability.
Together with other airports, airlines and aircraft manufacturers, the airport has committed itself to reducing the environmental impact of aviation in the pan-European Destination 2050 initiative and introduced a commitment to reach carbon neutrality on all flights across Europe and beyond by 2050.

“Airlines are phasing out older aircraft and replacing them with new, much greener and more environmentally friendly models. In about the next ten years, Prague Airport plans to execute several long-term development and sustainable projects, which include, for example, the expansion of the Terminal 2 building. In the preparatory phase of the terminal capacity increase project, very close coordination with Správa železnic (The Railway Administration) is pursued regarding a train connection to Václav Havel Airport Prague. The goal is to provide a more environmentally-friendly and more convenient way of transport to the airport” Vaclav Rehor, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, said.

Terminal capacities will also be expanded in a sustainable way. The intention is to minimise the overall impact of the construction on the environment, for example by using recycled materials, retaining and subsequently using rainwater, etc. Another goal is to ensure a quality indoor and outdoor environment for users, reduce the use of non-renewable natural energy sources for the implementation and operation of the building and, in terms of energy concept, strive for the building maximum energy self-sufficiency. “During the next development stages of the building design, we will reduce the energy, water and material consumption requirements. Wherever possible, we will look to generate these sources locally. Similarly, we will promote the use, for example, of renewable solar energy, heat pumps and other sources with minimal environmental impact,” Soňa Hykyšová, Prague Airport Environmental Protection Director, added.

Prague Airport also supports environmental protection projects in the surrounding municipalities and city districts. Since 2004, over 380 million crowns were invested in environmental projects under the “Living in Harmony” grant programme.

Examples of Prague Airport “Green” Achievements:
-Long-term reduction of CO2 emissions
– Since 2019, 100% green electricity.
– Biomonitoring (using bees, fruit and crop). Honey produced by airport bees has an excellent quality. It has won the Gold Medal in the Czech Honey contest for the seventh time in a row.
– Taking care of over 3,000 mature trees and shrubs and of about 580 hectares of grassed areas. In terms of species, there are 42 species of woody plants.
– Since 2012, replacing conventional light sources with LED lights. The 2020 electricity cost savings exceeded seven million Czech crowns.
– Limiting the use of disposable plastics.

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A call for workshops: 17th Congress on Environmental Education (ERE) 2021

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The Quebec Association for the Promotion of Environmental Education (AQPERE)  announces the 17th conference on environmental education (ERE). The event will take place online on November 19, 2021.

The organizing committee invites the actors and actresses of the ERE to submit proposals for workshops falling under the theme of the colloquium “A healthy world! Issues for environmental education”.

Submit your workshop by 31 May 2021

Appel de propositions d’ateliers – Colloque AQPERE 2021

For information: communications@aqpere.qc.ca

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European Natura 2000 Award: Call for top conservation initiatives open

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The European Commission has launched the 2022 edition of the European Natura 2000 Award. The Award, in its sixth edition, honours leading nature conservation achievements connected to Europe’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas.
The Award raises awareness about Natura 2000, the work carried out by different organisations and individuals to safeguard these vital natural assets, and the health, cultural, societal and economic benefits the network provides to us all, as well as its value in its own right.

The award recognises excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites and conservation achievements, showcasing the added value of the network for local economies, and increasing public awareness about Europe’s valuable natural heritage. It recognises good practices at Natura 2000 sites in five different categories: Conservation on land, Marine conservation, Communication, Socio-economic benefits, and Cross-border cooperation.
The sixth award, the Citizens’ Award, provides the public the opportunity to vote for their favourite finalist.

The Award is open to any organisation or person involved in Natura 2000, including public and local authorities, businesses, NGOs, landowners, educational institutions and individuals.

The application period runs from May 21st, the Natura 2000 Day, to September 2021 and the Award Ceremony will take place around Natura 2000 Day in May 2022.

Over the previous five editions, the Natura 2000 Award has received over 500 applications, and has celebrated 121 finalists and 29 winners. And the Citizens’ Award has received an enthusiastic response so far with over 190,000 votes cast between 2015 and 2020.

Visit the Award website now and find out how to apply!

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Education as if People and Planet Matter. Present your essay and win 5,000£

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Schumacher College is celebrating its 30th anniversary launching an international essay competition on the theme of “Education as if People and Planet Matter”, in collaboration with Resurgence & Ecologist magazine.
Schumacher College has pioneered and promoted a very different paradigm of values-based, holistic education over the past 30 years.

Today’s education system presents young people with a world still dominated by materialism, consumerism and the heedless exploitation of both people and the planet. It’s hopelessly ‘unfit for purpose’ as we wrestle with today’s converging crises of the Climate Emergency, ecological collapse, racial inequality and worsening social injustice.
This educational system is in urgent need of transformation if we wish to see education remaining relevant to the age of ecology and serving the purpose of the regenerative culture and sustaining the integrity of our precious planet earth.

Competition rules. Schumacher College invites you to write an essay under the title “Education as if People and Planet Matter”. The essay should be addressed to general readers, and not to either education or sustainability specialists as such. The length of the essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words.

The Entry Fee is £10 ( or $15.00 or €15.00) and this fee will cover the administration of the competition, with any surplus going to support learning programmes at Schumacher College.

The winner will receive a £5,000 cash prize, with an opportunity to present their essay at the anniversary event at Schumacher College in autumn 2021. A £2,000 cash prize will go to the second place, and £1,000 to the third runner-up.  The winner and two runners-up will receive their awards at the anniversary event.

Apart from the cash prize, we are also planning to publish a book of essays on “Education as if People and Planet Matter”.

To enter, complete the form.

The final deadline for the submission is 1st July 2021. Winners will be announced: 1st October

International Secretariat

Corso Moncalieri, 18
10131 Torino – Italy
tel.+39 0114366522
secretariat@weecnetwork.org

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