Marking the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970, today is Earth Day. With climate literacy one of the fundamental keys to bringing about a sustainable future, so international schools in Nanjing have today risen to the occasion.
From reforestation efforts to regenerative agriculture, the Earth Day effort is multifaceted. Each choosing a different focus, four of the international schools in Nanjing in three different districts of the city shared their efforts for today with The Nanjinger.
At the British School of Nanjing (BSN) in Jiangning District, the theme for today’s activities was “Go Beyond”, with the school stressing the impact possible when individuals change their habits to more sustainable practices, rather than grand gestures.
Students were shown that they need make individual choices in “going beyond” their normal habits. BSN had partnered with caterers, Aramark, for today’s meat-free lunch, making use of plant-based meat provider, Beyond Meat, to offer a more environmentally-responsible midday meal. Today was also meant as a trial for possible future longer-term changes to the menu.
Students were excited about the change, while some also had a personal perspective.“Eating animals seems cruel”, said Arielle in Year 5, who is already a vegetarian. “The lunch was great as I had a choice of 3 different meals, where usually I only have the one.” Her classmate, Miffy, agreed that every dish was great, but the pizza, in particular was, “delicious!”.
Teachers too embraced today’s menu. Year 1 Teacher, Rajinderpal Hinkel, said, “I was in food heaven! I didn’t know which dishes to choose; it all looked and tasted so good!”.
BSN Principal, Matthew Shephard, found the feedback from students and staff invaluable. “The focus for most people was on how easy this change would be for them, since the food was so tasty. Everyone recognised that this was good for the environment, but the motivation to make this personal change was that much easier, given the quality of the food was so good”, he said.
Over in Jianye District in the Olympiad area of the city, students at EtonHouse Nanjing also embraced this year’s Earth Day.
MYP and Individuals & Societies Teacher, Sameera Shaikomar, led a unit of investigation exploring whether energy can be truly sustainable and how it relates to using the Earth’s resources. Learners researched renewable and non-renewable energy, looking at solutions to save and sustain resources for the future.
Students came to the conclusion that humans do indeed impact negatively on the Earth. Key takeaway for the day was that pollution, loss of habitat, overexploitation and climate change can be reduced if people start using more sustainable ways.
In the northeastern part of our city that is Xianlin in Qixia District, middle school students at Nanjing International School (NIS) were also geared up for Earth Day. The student-led event today embodied the school’s commitment to empowering voice, inspiring positive change and connecting with the wider world.
“The theme for today is Restore the Earth”, said Ruth Clarke, Head of Middle School. “What we’re doing is restoring our commitment to environmental action.”
Originating from the NIS Student Council, the inaugural event was a showcase where each student display was an example of authentic service connected to a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. Rather than purely environmental work, some groups were involved in addressing concerns such as poverty or hunger, as these target contributing problems that affect our Earth. Through handmade crafts from clubs that included Precious Plastics, students also worked to raise money for different related charities, such as marine wildlife conservation.
“I believe that this event is very relevant to our time”, said Kirsten from Middle School. “And I think it’s important for us as students to go out in our creative way to make different things for Earth Day.”
Elsewhere in Xianlin, Laureate Kindergarten took for their Earth Day the theme of “Cherish the Earth, Harmony and Coexistence of Man and Nature”. Food waste, in particular, was a highlight, as the school initiated “Operation Empty Plate”, which extended into the young learners’ homes too. Children’s were encouraged to earlier in the week ensure they emptied their plates at mealtimes.
Shirley Xue, Principal at Laureate Kindergarten, said, “It was very difficult for little kids to finish their food unless it’s their favourite. By using Project-Based Learning, kids posted questions about food waste, poverty and waste classification”.
In addition, the young students were also instructed to help out their parents at home with housework and turn off the lights for one hour. The symbolic lights-out event is the hallmark of the other global environmental movement, Earth Hour, held last month and observed this year in 192 countries.
