The French Ministry of Education has provided resources for schools to encourage teachers and students to engage with the challenges of climate change. In participating schools, students vote for “éco-délégués’ (ecological representants), who are then supported by headteachers, teachers, school and administrative teams, to encourage students to engage in sustainable development measures that foster sustainable attitudes in the classroom and beyond.
The role of the “éco-délégués”:
- A mediator who shares information and acts as a link to keep classmates up-to-date regarding environmental events or projects;
- An ambassador who organises and/or attends school meetings to discuss projects inside the school about issues such as health and citizenship and who also represents their school on the local, regional and/or national stage;
- A decision maker who sets up activities and projects and communicates via posters, articles, blogs and social media, to raise student awareness of sustainable attitudes and practices in the school and wider environment;
- A role model who is involved in actions, projects and assessments and demonstrates the valuable opportunities, knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are gained from participation.
