The "Eco-Schools" project in Greece continues to grow every year, with more schools participating and more schools becoming awarded with the Eco-Schools' green flag. Starting 2005-2006, Greek Eco-schools will have the opportunity to widen the scope of their projects since "school grounds", a 4th main theme following "water", "waste" and "energy", is being introduced with its own information leaflet, application, an 82-page book of educational activities and 40x50 poster. All material is beautifully designed and printed in colour.
The National Steering Committee has been working on expanding the educational material of "Eco-Schools" in Greece for the last two years. The members of the Steering Committee concentrated on the school grounds, since it is the place where students and educators spend time daily and they can do so in an environmentally creative way. The 1-year sponsorship by the National Bank of Greece has made possible the production of the educational material and the overall implementation of the new theme for its initial year.
The proposal of the "school grounds" theme is that school teams include the schoolyard as well as other open-air spaces of their school, in their environmental action plan: not only keep them clean and tidy but also upgrade them through a series of initiatives and activities where the students are highly involved. The school teams will explore and map the schoolyard, will define needs, objectives and the means, and then engage in action: selective planting of trees, brush and medicinal plants, building a pond, composting, building nest for the birds, are just some of the options. They will also commission the maintenance and the remodeling of the school grounds, they will budget their activities and will seek financial support from the local community and their municipality.
The educational material includes a 28-page section with the methodology of the "school grounds" theme, destined specifically for educators who will have the opportunity to design their project according to their own specialization and interests, the students' needs and the pedagogical requirement for a safe, healthy, pleasant, useful and well cared-for school environment, suitable for creative learning and environmental education.

(August 2005)

   
On Saturday, February 12th 2005, a successful event was organized at the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Athens, by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) and a sponsor, Alpha Bank. The event was an award ceremony that brought together Environmental school teams, that work on "waste" within the "Eco-Schools" network, as well as Volunteer Teams composed by youth, students and adults, bringing their efforts together under the HSPN National Campaign "Garbage-Free Nature". During 2003-2004, these Volunteer Teams have undertaken the task of exploring the issue of waste and litter reducing, reusing, recycling, in the school grounds while seeking to sensitize the broader community through exhibitions and events, as well as by organising team-cleaning of natural and other public areas, picketing, appealing to the Municipal Authorities for cooperation and support and also publishing their initiatives through articles and photographs in the local press.

   
The event, presided by Aliki Vavouris-HSPN Programmes Operator, Maria Roussomoustakaki-HSPN Vice President and Melpomeni Theodoropoulou-Marketing Associate Director of Alpha Bank, included a Powerpoint presentation by HSPN staff member Panos Mathioudakis, of the work of the 40 Awarded School and Volunteer Teams, that was interspersed with students and volunteers from various teams coming on stage and sharing their experiences with the other participants. Most refreshing was the presence of school children staging short yet creative happenings about waste and recycling. After the presentation, Mrs. Theodoropoulou handed to the Teams' representatives their Honorary Certificates as well as packages with gifts on behalf of the sponsor. The event closed with a buffet reception extended to the participants.

(February 2005)

   
The Annual Awards Ceremony for the Eco-Schools Programme took place on Saturday, December 3rd, in the City of Athens' Cultural Centre. Overall 18 schools were awarded with the Eco-Schools flag and 15 more were re-awarded. Among the participants of this event was Mr. George Kalos, Deputy Minister of National Education.
   
Mr. Kalos distributed himself the Eco-Schools Flags, Award certificates, and other gifts by the National Operator, to the Environmental school Teams. The Minister, in his opening speech stated that environmental education is a top priority in his Ministry's agenda, and that he personally is very appreciative of the role and the contribution of NGOs on this issue. All the awarded schools, coming from various parts of Greece, with enthusiasm and pride presented their accomplishments in the Eco-Schools project and became a source of inspiration to their fellow students of other schools, to the teachers, parents, and other guests, and naturally to the Deputy Minister of National Education. After the ceremony, when leaving the City of Athens Cultural Centre, every one of us and especially the children felt content that we all had the opportunity to celebrate environmental education and the Eco-Schools Programme.

(December 2004)

   
The 2003-2004 school year has been a very fruitful one for quite a number of Greek schools that participate in the Eco-Schools Project. Since the beginning of May, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN), National Operator of the Project in Greece, received many reports by Environmental Teams working on water, energy, waste and implementing various activities in order to transform their schools into sustainable ones. Many of the school reports are accompanied by photographs, posters, leaflets artefacts and other exhibits that illustrate the work accomplished during the school year by the students, while some Environmental Teams, opted to compile their work onto cd-roms, making it easier to access and view their performance.
   
One such example, and a very good one at that, is the cd-rom produced by the High School of Gargalianoi, (age 12-15), in the Messinia region. The Environmental Team working on waste is making a thorough presentation, in electronic format, of all the activities implemented in the class room and in the school grounds, as well as in the field: dissemination of the Eco-Code concerning paper recycling to all their fellow students at school, collection of recyclable materials, supervision of the school's waste. Furthermore, through a very interesting programme seeking to inform the community, conceived by the school's Environmental Team and implemented with the cooperation of the local Municipality, included activities such as dissemination of an information leaflet to all the local citizens through mail, as well setting up of a communication box, where those interested to be informed about composting could drop in their address and receive information on the subject by the students. The Environmental Team of the High School of Gargalianoi also visited a facility on paper recycling and another one treating glass while the students travelled to the near by cities of Kalamata and Tripoli in order to present their recycling project to mayor of Kalamata and to their fellow students on the 1st High School of Tripoli, respectively. The school year ended with festivities at the school grounds, which among other things included an impressive exhibition of musical instruments, all hand made by use of recyclable materials. The quality of the Environmental Team's work is clearly exhibited in the cd-rom, the whole presentation being featured in web style format, easily navigated, with very good texts, pictures, short videos and functional graphics. An excellent overall example of environmental awareness and modern technology, combined.

(July 2004)

   
Tuesday, 16^th March and 24^th March 2004 were exceptional days for two schools, the Primary School of Aghia Napa in Cyprus and the 13^th and 21^st Primary Schools of Keratsini in Greece, as well as for the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature and CYMEPA. On these days three Eco-Schools were twinned. This makes us extremely proud and gives us the energy to undertake action in order to raise awareness to environmental issues. It was a unique experience for both schools that initiated a mutually constructive and beneficial relationship in a very touching ceremony. Teachers and students of the two schools declared their commitment to exchange information and knowledge, to share warm feelings of friendship. The celebrations in both countries were impeccably organized with music, singing and dancing and great tasting food. Many friends and relatives were present and experienced first hand the meaning of twinning.
Both the Cypriot and the Greek students discovered the elements that unify peoples and "build" bridges of friendship and brotherhood. We are sure that this twinning will be exceptionally fruitful for both groups, as our twinned school has already taken a place in our heart.

Ms Kleopatra Hadgikosta, Headmistress, 13^th Primary School of Keratsini

   
For more information:
Ms Aliki Vavouris (hspn@hol.gr), Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (Greece)
Dr Michael Ierides (cymepa@cytanet.com.cy), CYMEPA (Cyprus)

(March 2004)

   
HSPN implements 6 Programmes of Environmental Education with over 600 registered schools. 62 schools are participating in the YRE (Young Reporters for the Environment) Project, 100 schools in the LeAF (Learning About Forests), while 222 schools are participating in the national Programmes "Garbage free Nature", "Green Corners of our Neighbourhood" and "Our Friend the Stork". The Eco-Schools Programme reached the number of 202 registered schools this year in Greece. So far 102 "Eco-Schools" have been awarded and many among them have been re-awarded.
   
In Lavrion - Attiki, 70 km outside of the city of Athens, the local community enjoys economic growth while it is determined to protect the environment through specific actions. It is in this city that on April 12th the National Awards Ceremony for the Greek schools of the Eco-Schools Programme was held, hosted by the 3rd Primary School of Lavrion and our dear friend the Mayor Mr. Dimitris Loukas, a former Head Master of the school. Overall 29 schools were invited to receive their awards for their performance in the Eco-Schools Program over the last two years. The school teams arrived early in the morning and started with the preparation of the billboards with their work: posters, photographs, crafts. The ambiance was warm and friendly and the pupils of the awarded schools were very enthusiastic in their presentations of their work and achievements. After the presentations, our distinguished guests, The Mayor, the Vice Mayor and elected officials of the Municipality of Lavrion, the HSPN Treasurer, and members of the HSPN Board as well as members of the National Steering Committee, invited the teachers and pupils to receive their awards.The school teams proudly displayed their newly obtained Eco-Schools flag before the photo cameras. The event closed with a gourmet lunch offered by the Municipality of Lavrion. When leaving the City of Lavrion after the Awards Ceremony, we all felt quite content after having witnessed the dedication, and the joy of teachers and pupils alike who came from distant parts of Greece to join in this celebration of Eco-Schools and environmental education.

(September 2003)

   
We are happy to let you know that our totally new website is up and running: www.eepf.gr
It contains information on the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature as well as on all our programs, both national and international (Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, YRE, LeAF, green corners of our neighbourhood, nature without garbage). There are various pages and each programme has its own page. Also, information on all of the above topics is provided in English.

(June 2003)

News from Greece...

   
We have been planning our yearly Award ceremony that was scheduled to take place on March 1^st hosted by the 3^rd Primary School of Lavrion located at the historic area of Attiki. However, the heavy weather that hit all over Greece over the last few days has made it nearly impossible for teachers and students to travel to Athens in order to meet the Awarding ceremony. Thus, the Ceremony is rescheduled for a later date. It will be a nice event. The hosting school has been implementing the Eco-Schools Programme since 1995 and has been awarded in 1997 and reawarded in 2000. We also have secured support and funding by the Mayor of Lavrion, himself a former teacher of the school that has just been elected last October.
   
However there are other exciting news. The National Steering Committee has prepared a thorough questionnaire that has been disseminated to schools, teachers as well as our partners in the prefectures throughout Greece that are in charge of implementing and supervising environmental education. The questionnaire focuses on the evaluation of the Eco-Schools Programme by the teachers as well as the evaluation of the new educational material and book that HSPN produced last year especially for the programme. Attached to this questionnaire were instructions by the National Steering Committee to teachers on how to proceed about the Programme, especially those that are in schools that have joined Eco-schools years ago and need to be given further incentives to focus their interest and work on environmental activities designed for the awareness of their local communities. The steering Committee is expecting to have specific results through this research that will be used in the overall evaluation of the implementation of the Programme in Greece and that it will provide for new ideas and activities.
   
Stickers for Public Awareness: Greek schools have produced several stickers on different environmental themes in cooperation with the local authorities. These stickers are given out to their local communities for public awareness, as part of their informing and involving action plan.

(February 2003)

News from Greece...

   
8 fruitful years have passed since October 1994, when the «Eco-Schools» started rolling in Greece. Over 6.000 pupils and 500 teachers, in nearly 200 schools have effectuated successfully the Programme in its main study themes, “water”, “energy”, “litter/waste”. HSPN, the Programme’s National Operator did its best, standing by the schools, providing them with all the necessary tools (educational material, leaflets posters and brochures) and also organising an educational Seminar for the teachers as well as special events: Award ceremonies and a Programme’s Exposition at the Athens Municipal Cultural Centre in 1999-2000. This particular event lasted two days and gathered over 250 pupils, each day. These pupils, divided in teams, participated in a field activity consisting of an inspection of the surrounding area, then put together an Eco-code of conduct relating to the theme of “litter”.

   
A very important step was taken this year by printing and disseminating the «Eco-Schools’ Educational Book». This is a new effort combining the educational material from the previous 7 years as well as new proposals for the programme’s educational activities, all in a 185-page attractive edition. This edition has been made possible by the financial support of the I.F. Kostopoulos Foundation, a Trust that supports financially the Programme in Greece.
   

Many are the schools that have successfully completed the Programme’s cycle already: 66 Primary schools, 25 High schools and 2 Upper High schools have been awarded and have the Green Flag flying, as well as their Certificate of Award. Among these, 45 schools have applied for a new evaluation in order to be re-Awarded and have succeeded. The National Operator estimates that, not only the school numbers will grow during 2002-2003 but also many schools will broaden their work within the Programme by use of the new «Eco-Schools Educational Book», that gives them the opportunity to add new activities in their curriculum, under each one of the 4 themes: “water”, “energy”, “litter/waste” and “sustainable school”.

(October 2002)

Eco-Schools Awarding Ceremony

   
In the colourful surroundings of the 12^th Primary School of Korydalos 24 Eco-Schools gathered on Saturday, April 13^th for the Programme’s Annual Awarding Ceremony. Pupils, teachers as well as parents gathered early in the morning and went about filling up boards and stands with their presentations as well as self-made craft work that brought witness to their eco-consciousness and their ingenuity. Later on everyone moved to the Conference room for the Eco-Schools yearly programme assessment then back to the Exhibition area where schools received the Certificate and the programme Flag after making a presentation of their work.
   
The new edition of the Eco-Schools educational material is out! Focusing on the main topics - Energy, Water, Litter & Waste, Sustainability - this new edition put together by the Steering Committee will enable teachers and pupils to study and also to better their school environment, while opening up the school to their local communities.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
(April 2002)

   
The 5^th annual Seminar for teachers of schools participating in the “Eco-Schools” network was held at the village Thermo of Aitoloakarnania, Greece, from 23 to 25 of November.
   
In a beautiful green environment and alongside running waters, about 80 teachers of first and second-degree schools had the opportunity to discuss and assess the “Eco-Schools” continuing success in Greece, as well as to practice with fieldwork.
   
The seminar was organized by the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) and hosted by the Center for Environmental Education of Aitoloakarnania, the regional branch of the Ministry’s of Education sector for the environmental education.

(January 2002)