Wiltshire students are being encouraged to create and share eco-friendly ideas for their schools during Eco Week, running from 6-10 March.
Primary and secondary schools are taking up the mission to come up with projects that will have a lasting impact on green initiatives in their school.
Eco Week is an idea from the Wiltshire Youth Council, a group of secondary aged young people who represent young people’s views and are elected to speak out on issues that are important to them. Young people get involved in local decision making and have a say on funding for youth projects as part of the democratic body which was set up by Wiltshire Council in 2022.
Eco Week runs from 6 March and aims to raise awareness about important environmental issues, while using the student voice to come up with new ways in which the school may be more eco-friendly.
Youth councillor Kristina said, “It’s a week to promote and celebrate sustainability and the environment within the schools.”
During Eco Week, schools can get involved with a range of different activities that contribute to the promotion of protecting our environment and eco-friendliness, as well as promoting recycling within schools and protecting the planet. Some ideas that have been suggested include creating artwork out of recycled materials, school litter picks and creating new habitats for wildlife. However, more suggestions are welcome!
Schools taking part will be encouraged to post images and/or videos onto social media with the hashtag #WYCEcoWeek. Throughout Eco Week, youth councillors will be looking through these and shall decide the winners and runners up after the Eco Week competition has finished. Schools will also be asked to send a tracker of activities that helps explain the difference their projects have made.