For the second consecutive year, School of the Nations celebrated sustainable practices on April 8, 2017 for our Nations Goes Green Day. One of our goals is to debunk the myth that sustainability is about ecology only.
The United Nations’ Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals inspire us—
no poverty
zero hunger
good health and well-being
quality education
gender equality
clean water and sanitation
affordable and clean energy
decent work and economic growth
industry, innovation, and infrastructure
reduced inequalities
sustainable cities and communities
responsible consumption and production
climate action
life below water
life on land
peace, justice, and strong institutions, and
partnerships for the goals.
From 9:00 a.m. to noon, students, parents, staff, alumni, and the wider school community engaged in fun with a touch of “green.” Eighteen activities took place simultaneously.
Participants could join an activity and move on to another as they pleased. The Portuguese-as-a-Second-Language team gave a workshop to students, in which they made educational games from recycled materials. The School Factory sold cleaning products our students made. Local entrepreneurs took part as well renting nineteen tables to sell their products in our Collaborative Market. Students in our Junior Youth Program and their teachers made a Play Dough Workshop and presented Cine Sustainability, a short film on sustainability.
The animal shelter Quintal dos Bichos® collaborated with us to organize our Pet Adoption Fair for cats and dogs, and students promoted a campaign to collect dog food. Members of our Model United Nations (MUN) Club organized a Bake Sale to help raise funds for their next MUN Conference.
Musicians and teachers, Mr. Diego Considera and Mr. Rafael Cardoso, made the event even more pleasant with Nations Live Music, in which students sang and played some cool songs.
There were all kinds of products for sale at our Flea Market—from brownies to paintings to clothes and toys. We also set up four stands to promote school projects. Dagilson, who helps care for our Mandala Garden, put together a workshop showing how the garden works and how to plant in it. I See Lolei, a project from Cambodia and supported by School of the Nations, sold t-shirts from the brand Dane-se (I See Lolei collection) with all funds raised going to the village in Cambodia. All money raised from the Flea Market table rentals and project sales went to projects organized by Nations’ students.
Our Portuguese teachers created a sustainability test with questions about sustainable consumption. Those who answered the test won a plant for their home. We relaxed with a Yoga Workshop, which everyone enjoyed. Chemistry teacher, Mr. William, gave a workshop on creating a solar power station using recycled materials.
Lastly, students in Grades 10 & 11 did some deep research on the topic “Vegetarianism and How to Reduce Meat Consumption?” and presented their ideas on Nations Chats - a TED Talk-like presentation. Two groups presented well-thought out projects to our community.
Our second Nations Goes Green Day was full of learning and creativity. It gets better and better every year!