Frugi has committed to funding a new online Teacher Training Programme as part of its on-going initiative with Eco-Schools, a global charity managed in England by Keep Britain Tidy.
Each year Frugi donates 1 per cent of turnover to charity as part of its Little Clothes BIG Change charity programme and has so far donated £850,000 over the past 17 years to help children and environmental non-profit organisations. Frugi is committed to working with Eco-Schools as part of this initiative.
Frugi’s overall ambition is to help inspire a new generation of eco-heroes to change the world, which makes the Eco-Schools programme, the largest educational programme in the world, an ideal partner. As an extension of its on-going support, Frugi has donated funding for 300 teachers throughout England, from nurseries through to colleges, to attend three immersive sessions of an hour each to learn about the Eco-School programme and how it can benefit their school, pupils, and wider community. Training will be offered to the entire Eco-Schools network with the 300 free spaces allocated on a first come first place saved basis.
Schools are incredibly busy places with numerous priorities and commitments and for teaching staff it can feel like there are not enough hours in the day to achieve all their goals. “People who choose to work in education are conscientious and they care deeply about their pupils, their school community and our planet and they are always striving to have a positive impact on all three,” says Eco-Schools Manager Lee Wray-Davies, “but they can often struggle to find a comprehensive programme that introduces their student to environmentalism with relevant, impactful and engaging content.”
As a former teacher, Wray-Davies has personally developed the Eco-Schools training course to help teachers formalise the teaching and accompany them on their journey to an Eco-Schools Green Flag. Over the next academic year, with Frugi’s funding, Eco-Schools will assist 300 Eco-Coordinators introducing pupil-led environmental action in their schools, sharing ideas, support, providing reassurance and best of all celebrating in their success.
Frugi has already funded the costs for 150 UK schools to gain their prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag certification; where schools complete a Seven Step programme, which maps out a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community while at the same time having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people and their families. When a child gets actively involved with Eco-Schools, they enhance their development and are encouraged to use their imagination and voice in a safe, non-judgemental environment. They become minute makers, organisers, planners, and influencers. Eco-Schools has the power to transform pupils into forward thinking, challenge solving, decision making adults of the future.
Frugi CEO Sarah Clark comments, “Eco-Schools and our new Teacher Training Programme will not only benefit so many more children’s lives, but it helps raise environmental change-makers of the future.” As well as the benefits to pupils, individual schools’ benefit from reducing their environmental impact. Eco-Schools consume less water and energy and produce less waste; in turn saving money that can be allocated elsewhere in the school. Ideal for Early Years Foundation (3-5), Primary Schools (5-11) all the way through to Secondary and Further Education (12-18), Frugi is proudly the first company to sponsor schools for all age groups.
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