A generous gift by UWCSEA parents Andy and Mei Budden is driving the sustainability programme at the College forward, taking us one step closer to our goal in making environmental stewardship a significant part of every student’s education.
Since 2012, the Budden Composting Project has had a huge impact on our Grade 5 students by encouraging them to collect compost around the Primary and Middle Schools to be used by the urban gardening groups at the College. This has led to the incorporation of this project into the Grade 5 curriculum this year. In addition, both the Infant School and the Design Technology Department are inspired to reuse, reduce and recycle materials from plastic bottles to textiles into creative use – saving money and resources for a more sustainable future.
Another initiative through this generous gift is the Budden Environmental Leadership Initiative, which invests funds in the establishment of dedicated personnel to effectively manage and develop a number of student initiatives – ensuring that they contribute towards Academic and Outdoor Education, Service and the wider community. This means additional positions have been created to work closely with our students – leading to a dedicated Environmental Stewardship Council in the Middle School that serves to be the campaign arm of the Green Campus Group and working to raise awareness of waste and coordinating waste-reduction programmes.
In High School on Dover Campus, the focus was on the recent Round Square International Conference 2015, in which the sustainability leaders worked with student groups to minimise the environmental impact of the conference and educate the community on the responsibility they have to conserve and protect our environment. Similarly, East Campus encouraged carbon offsetting through grade trips including Grade 11 Project Week, Grade 6 and 8 trips to Tioman and Chiang Mai, as well as service trips throughout the year.
With further plans to support the implementation of a world-class sustainability programme at UWCSEA, this gift will take us to the next step of our journey towards educating for a sustainable future.
uwcseafoundationnewsblog.wordpress.com 