Sammonlahti School educates children to be environmentally aware

Sammonlahti School is the first secondary school in Finland to have simultaneously received both the Eco-Schools Green Flag certificate and the environmental certificate granted by the OKKA Foundation. At the school, sustainable development is valued and efforts are made to mitigate climate change through one’s actions.

Measures to minimise environmental impacts at the school include energy conservation, efficient sorting of waste and reducing biowaste.

Respect for the environment as well as ways to minimise carbon footprints and consume sustainably are taught at the school. Environmental actions are part of everyday life and everyone participates in them. Measures to minimise environmental impacts at the school include energy conservation, efficient sorting of waste and reducing biowaste. The goal is to recycle all materials sensibly, and cycling and public transport are favoured at the school.

Sustainable development has been strongly incorporated into the school’s curriculum. Sustainable development is discussed in the context of both home economics and biology classes. Global issues, sustainable well-being and economics are taught in, for example, social studies, health education and language lessons.

The school also plays an active role outside the school. Sustainable development days are organised with day-care centres. Awareness is spread to homes as well through days without electricity. Information is collected and copiously shared. The students participate in youth climate events, visit other environmental schools, spread information, and are saving the world, little by little.