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Local and international secondary schools in Hong Kong can play a part in promoting sustainable development by enrolling in a Sustainable Development School Award programme.
Organised by the Council for Sustainable Development, the School Award programme is aimed at introducing to students the concept of sustainable development, raising their awareness of the importance of sustainable development and encouraging them to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives. The programme also hopes to spread the sustainable development message to the students﷿ families and within their local community.
Sustainable development requires a change of mindset to bring about full integration of the economic, social and environmental needs and not to focus only on one or two of them to achieve a sustainable future.
A spokesman for the Council said the programme would run from next month (September) until December, 2008, offering gold, silver and bronze awards at the end.
"It will help create a sustainable development community network at district level and build capacity for involved parties for future collaboration and engagement exercises,蒅 the spokesman said.
The programme encourages participating schools to take part in sustainable development-related activities organised by the council and the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education; and the Sustainable Development Fund sponsored projects.
If a school participates in at least three of these activities, and the total attendance reaches a minimum of 400 student counts, the school will qualify for a Bronze Award.
If a school meets the requirements for a Bronze Award and in addition, initiates a school campaign or project promoting sustainable practices or raising its students﷿ awareness on sustainable development, the school will qualify for a Silver Award.
A school will qualify for a Gold Award if it fulfils the requirements for a Silver Award and additionally initiates a campaign or project at local district level involving parents as well as local residents in the community to promote awareness and practices of sustainable development.
䩕All participating schools are required to submit a report on relevant activities they have participated in or organised to the council for assessment by the end of December, 2008,蒅 the spokesman said.
䩕A presentation ceremony will be held in early 2009 to acknowledge and honour the winning schools.蒅
For details about the School Award programme, please visit http://www.susdev.gov.hk/resourcecentre/indexb5.htm or call 3150 8198.
Ends/Friday, August 17, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:08
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