Union School awarded eco-school label
Union School's commitment to eco-responsibility officially recognised
We are delighted and proud to announce that Union School has now been awarded the Eco-School label. This is official recognition of the efforts made by the management, teaching staff and students to protect the environment.
Eco-School: an international label
The Eco-School label was created in Denmark in 1995 and has existed in France since 2005, where it is managed by the Teragir association. It is recognised by the French Ministry of Education and supported by the French Ministry for Ecological Transition.
The programme is based on the mobilisation of all the school community around a common project for education in sustainable development.
Eco-responsibility: a strong commitment from Union School right from the design stage
For Barbara de Baudry d’Asson, a bilingual school of excellence today has a duty to raise awareness of ecological issues and take responsible action, because it is also her role to make the children in her care aware of these issues.
Union School has therefore done everything in its power to ensure that its young pupils are a driving force for positive change in this world of theirs.
In setting up her school, Barbara teamed up with Anne-Sophie de Monès (a journalist specialising in environmental issues) with the mission of placing eco-responsibility at the heart of Union School, so as to actively involve all its stakeholders, and first and foremost its pupils.
Together, they ensured that the teaching project embraced the ecological dynamic in a very concrete way, starting with the inclusion of a vegetable garden in the school’s plans so that gardening and eco-responsibility workshops could be organised there.
Eco-responsibility and sustainable development: subjects integrated into the timetable of Union School students
To respect the planet, there’s nothing like getting your hands dirty.
It is through direct contact with the earth that children can experience nature’s generosity, understand its fragility and take action to protect it.
Pupils at Union School are lucky enough to have the privilege of cultivating this connection in their vegetable garden, to listen to a story with their teacher, to pluck a fresh piece of fruit as they walk by, but above all to attend the weekly eco-responsible workshops.
After the GoodPlanet Foundation, which for two years developed educational tools specifically adapted for Union School pupils, it’s now Marie and Francesca’s turn to run the eco-responsibility and gardening workshops. Surrounded by a flock of 20 ewes, these passionate experts develop ecological and educational programmes aimed at restoring nature to its rightful place in our towns and cities, as well as in our daily lives.
They run an impressive number of eco-responsible projects in schools, gardens and hospitals.
The aim of our two facilitators is to help small seeds to germinate, both in the soil and in people’s minds. Our pupils, through these workshops, also become these promising seeds, ready to embellish and transform the world around them.
« Redefining educational excellence also means setting the highest standards, right down to the children’s plates. What they eat plays an essential role. »
Barbara Beau – Founder and Union School Director
An organic canteen at Union School, an imperative commitment
Choosing an organic canteen was an obvious choice for Barbara: ‘Redefining educational excellence also means setting the highest standards, right down to the children’s plates. What they eat plays an essential role’. Alain Ducasse, who came to speak to the Union School students, reminded them that for the health of all and the respect of our planet, we need: ‘less sugar, less salt, more local vegetables, less animal proteins’.
Ressources was a clear choice. This team of passionate chefs in Paris is a pioneering example of sustainable school food. Their dishes are 100% organic, using 100% French produce bought direct from local producers. These commitments have earned Ressources BIO certification and the Ecotable label – awarded to the most eco-responsible Michelin-starred restaurants in France !
Food: the first theme of the Union School Eco-School programme
The Eco-School programme offers 8 themes for work: food, biodiversity, climate, waste, water, energy, health, solidarity). Union School decided to start with food. The fruitful collaboration with Ressources and the presence of the kitchen garden seemed to be interesting tools for work and reflection on this theme.
The CM1/CM2 pupils took on the role of the Eco-School project leaders at Union School, and were chosen to become the eco-delegates.
As part of the labelling process, a diagnosis had to be carried out on the subject of food at school. The class of eco-delegates answered all the questions about canteen meals, food waste, knowledge of labels, seasonal produce, etc.
They were delighted to find that their school offered all pupils an ideal living and learning environment in which to learn about and benefit from a healthy, balanced diet.
In addition to the Resources canteen, the weekly workshops in and around the vegetable garden play a major role in this. Regular maintenance and observation of the garden helps children to understand how a vegetable garden works. They are invited to look, touch, smell and above all taste the seasonal fruit and vegetables that they grow themselves.
What a joy it is to be able to enjoy the produce from the garden: the pupils have made rhubarb compote for a snack, jam for their parents, prepared mint tea, and discovered the many virtues and possible uses of lavender by making an healing oily or preparing scented sachets.
The eco-delegates did, however, find one area for improvement: food waste. Efforts need to be made to reduce waste in the canteen: think before you refill, serve smaller quantities, sort organic waste and find a way to recycle it. Here are some ideas to work on !
For Union School, tomorrow counts today !