Tower
Hamlets
Waste Education Project |
Introduction |
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The Tower Hamlets Waste Education Project was set up by the London Borough
of Tower Hamlets, to encourage waste minimisation and recycling in the
local community.
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It aimed to trail new ways of educating the public about waste minimisation.
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Working closely with local schools the project was able to design new
methods of developing awareness around sustainable waste management.
These included the development and publication of a 'big book' and a
new way of auditing the environment using photography.
o
Teachers are now able to introduce waste minimisation ideas to virtually
any part of the curriculum with the use of the learning packs 'Protecting
which have been designed for key stages 1 & 2 and 3 & 4.
o Educational web sites now carry the waste minimisation message, showcasing
pupils work and ideas for teachers. Schools are now undertaking projects,
which before were considered to be outside the National Curriculum.
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The project has now been running for over 6 years and has been recognised
as an innovator in waste education and has won a number of awards including
a 'UK National Recycling Award for the 'best information and communication
campaign'.
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Project
Details |
The project aims
to educate the public through the promotion of sustainable waste management
practice by demonstrating its benefits in all educational establishments
and in the wider community.
The project has included:
o The production
of a schools recycling pack.
o The recruitment
of an environmental and Waste Education Officer to produce the pack
and demonstrate its key features.
o The development
and continuous improvement of the recycling pack,
web based materials and training initiatives.
o The production
of 3 'big books',
which can be used during literacy hour for key, stage 1 pupils.
o The development
of a methodology which would enable schools
to use photography to map and evaluate the local environment.
o Working in partnership
with other existing related projects
to ensure productivity and efficiency and avoid duplication.
o The development
of waste education learning materials on educational web sites.
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Pupils
reviewing their photographs of the environment
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Project
Collaborators |
Schools
Our principal collaborators in the project are all schools in Tower
Hamlets.
Organisations
Spitalfields Farm worked closely with the project from
the outset and allowed the project to use its facilities for the key
stage one reading book production 'Rumi and Rosy visit the Farm'.
The farm now regularly uses both the learning pack and big book as an
integral part of their education work.
Spitalfields Market Trust provided funding towards
the development of the Big Book.
Tower Hamlets Humanities Education Centre collaborated
with the project from the outset and provided valuable advice and support.
The
Children's Society provided advice and collaboration around
the work funded by SRB5 in schools. The Society has done a lot of work
in the borough on consultation around environmental issues with children.
The
Brady Arts team facilitated the launch of
the waste exhibition 'Rubbish' and provided support for the
project. Rubbish was shown at the Brady Arts Centre and also at the
Jack Dash gallery. Rubbish was launched simultaneously with the Children's
play on an environmental theme “Claudia Claus and her Jurassic tree”.
Cityside
Regeneration provided funding towards the publication of the
learning pack, the Big Book and the Rubbish Exhibition.
Absolute Relaxation Productions, a collective of education
specialists creating films, books, webpages and events in the UK. They
were involved in curating the 2006 One World One Environment Exhibition,
produced these webpages and the Projects current films.
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The 'Rubbish' exhibition at the Brady Centre
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Project
Aims and Objectives
The project is by its very nature, a major education programme.
It aims to educate and disseminate information on sustainable waste
management
by teaching and demonstrating the need for
and the benefits of sustainable waste management.
Principal Objectives
o To develop and deliver an educational programme for schools on waste
and recycling
within the context of Local Agenda 21 and the wider sustainability agenda
within the context of the National Curriculum and the Global Footprints
project.
o
To promote waste minimisation, recycling and re-use of waste materials
throughout the borough by devising and implementing
educational activities throughout the borough.
o To develop and deliver an educational programme on waste for schools.
o To ensure teaching staff and young people are fully involved
in the development and delivery of the programme.
o To produce support materials for teachers.
o To ensure that the programme relates to the national Curriculum
and is accordingly up-dated, adapted and re-evaluated
in respect of any changes made to the Curriculum.
o To assist teachers in the implementation of the programme.
o To seek sponsorship for elements of the project
where ever possible, such as printing and publicity.
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Project
Rationale
The rationale behind the project is to target the
younger generation
in order for the waste minimisation message to be sustained.
In order to provide the tools in school for teachers the project has recognised
that learning materials need to be accessible
(both to students and teachers) relevant to the local environment
and developed within the context of the National Curriculum.
The project has sought to make 'waste minimisation' interesting and enjoyable
to children and has developed practical ways to develop awareness
around environmental issues such as using photography to audit the local
environment. |
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Project
Outcomes
o All schools in Tower Hamlets have received the projects publications
and been invited to participate in a range of projects using film, digital
media and art.
o So far the project has produced 9 films
in partnership with schools, community groups, the waste industry and
artists. These films are used regularly in schools to convey the waste
minimisation project.
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The book Rumi and Rosy Visit the Farm and learning pack 'Protecting
Our Environment' has been succeeded by further learning materials which
have been piloted in schools before publication.
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Ten schools participated in the recent 'One World, One Environment exhibition
Rubbish' project reaching around 480 children. Eighteen schools participated
in the workshops reaching around 540 children. Feedback was sought from
teachers and pupils following each workshop.
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Pupils mapping out their local environment for the 'Rubbish'
exhibition |
Project
Methodology
From the outset the project has worked closely with schools, teachers
and pupils. It was decided that everything should be tested in schools
before publication. Every page of the finished publications was subjected
to rigorous testing in the classroom. Many changes were made to the
text and design of learning materials following comments from pupils
and teachers.
Spitalfields
City Farm 'hosted' the story 'Rumi and Rosy Visit the Farm'
and advised on the story line. Following publication of the book the
farm used it as the main resource for outreach work with Key Stage 1
pupils.
The
Waste Education Officer worked closely with educational advisors, designers
and teachers and was involved in classroom trials. A head teacher provided
curriculum advice from the outset of the project. Materials were designed
for the specific needs of pupils living in an urban environment. Children
and adults with learning difficulties participated in the 'One World,
One Environment' workshops.
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Bangladeshi
Pupils
Over 50% of pupils at Key stage 1 & 2 in Tower Hamlets are of Bangladeshi
origin.
Both the big book and the learning pack reflected this in content.
The Waste Education Officer visited Bangladesh
and took many photographs for use in published materials.
References in the learning pack included:
o
Global Warming was illustrated through a photograph of two boys walking
through a flooded street in Dhaka. Pupils were asked to engage in a number
of activities including checking out a website about Bangladesh and producing
a display on “Weather around the world”.
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Shopping and the change to supermarkets was illustrated by the Bangladeshi
Kickboxing champion Ali Jacko who fronted the Council's campaign to 'Buy
Recycled'.
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Engineers in Dhaka, Bangladesh were used to illustrate saving metal by
repairing an electric motor.
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The Bengali poet Kobi Nazrul was featured in a section on glass and recycling.
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Installation Art at Dhaka university was used to illustrate the importance
of re-use.
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Photographs of pupils were chosen to reflect the ethnic diversity of the
borough. |
Walking to school in Dhaka
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Rubbish Exhibition
An exhibition of children's photographs and comments,
Rubbish was a collaboration between the Tower Hamlets Waste
Education Project,
ten Tower Hamlets primary schools, the Brady Arts Team and The Children's
Society.
The specific aims of the project were:
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For young people to create an exhibition of their photographs
which capture images of waste around their school vicinity.
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For young people to become familiar with the area around their school
and recognise ways they can take action to protect and improve their
environment.
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To explore what young people think about their surroundings and what
they would like to change.
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To challenge people's ideas about rubbish and persuade them that recycling
offers
a brighter future for the borough and the planet as a whole.
The
Initiative
The
purpose of the project was to increase children's involvement
in the management of their local environment. This was achieved through:
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The development of learning materials which encouraged awareness about
the local environment, sustainability and the importance of recycling.
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Workshops with children relating to their local environment, both in
and out of school.
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The production of an exhibition by local children which examined the
local environment and promoted sustainable environmental practices.
"We
learnt about where our rubbish goes and how we can recycle things like
bottles and paper. We can't keep putting our rubbish in the ground all
the time so we must recycle more."
Pupil talking to East End Life.
The
children were then shown the developed photographs they had taken
and discussed the images they had captured.
They wrote comments on what they could see in the pictures
and how changes could be made and action taken to improve the environment.
Then pupils selected the images for the exhibition.
Photographs enabled pupils to look at their environment from an entirely
new perspective.
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Cross-curricular
Links
In addition to fulfilling Citizenship and PSHE objectives
this initiative also meets guidelines for the following National Curriculum
subjects:
English
- Group discussion and interaction, composition and presentation.
Art - Exploring and developing ideas.
Geography - Knowledge and understanding
of environmental change
and sustainable development.
Other - Assemblies and circle time
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Conclusions
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All schools in the borough have benefited from the project
at least by receiving the project publications.
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Teachers in the borough now frequently contact the project for advice
and information on environmental protection issues.
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Other education authorities have requested materials
and started to use the methodology developed by the project.
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Schools are keen to work with the project as part of a new cycle
of national curriculum environmental projects.
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Funders have expressed satisfaction with project delivery and outputs.
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The project has developed a good working relationship with partners
in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
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Models for introducing waste minimisation ideas to key stage 1&2 pupils
are now being replicated within the borough and beyond
thanks to the global footprints and citizenship websites.
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The project has attracted new funds, is established on a permanent basis
and is actively engaged with schools and voluntary sector groups
in the borough and beyond.
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Published materials have been acclaimed by the deputy Mayor of London,
educationalists and environmental campaigners as far afield
as Brussels, New York, Bangladesh and Argentina.
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The innovation of mapping the urban environment using photography
continues to be used in schools and is showcased on the web site:
http://
www.eastendtalking.org.uk
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Working
in Partnership with the City Corporation
All of the above project initiatives could be made available to city corporation
schools.
The project could provide a variety of resources that would cover
the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Schools could also be included in new initiatives, projects, films and
exhibitions. |
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 for
the Waste Education Project
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