Familie & Kind

International School students drive sustainability programme

Visitors to the International School of Düsseldorf (ISD) Elementary School on any given Friday afternoon may be greeted by the sound of drums, maracas, and song, as the grade 4 and 5 students perform their weekly recycling ritual, Yellow Bin Pick-Up Time (YBPT).

YBPT is a student-initiated scheme, whereby all recyclable waste is collected, and removed by the students themselves. The programme upholds ISD’s mission to ‘inspire students to contribute positively to a sustainable world’, and is named after the large yellow bins used to collect plastic and packaging waste.

While the idea is simple – children separate all waste in the classrooms on a daily basis, empty the recyclable waste into larger bins once a week, and bring them to the front of the school where the Hausmeisters move the bins outside for collection –  the programme has multiple benefits, not just for the environment, but also for the school, the Hausmeisters, and the students themselves.

According to ISD teacher and student sustainability mentor, Mr Kyle Shahan, students involved in the programme develop a strong sense of responsibility and climate stewardship. “Seeing first hand the total amount of waste that a school creates can be surprising. Students now question why something is trash, and also ‘rescue’ items that are still in good working condition to be reused or repurposed in our Maker Space or Rescue Café. The direct experience of collecting trash enhances a child’s awareness, and leads to attitudes and behaviors that ‘refuse, rethink, and repair’ our waste, as well as ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’.“

ISD Hausmeister, Mr Jan Golembiewski, agrees. “The student-driven system is 1000 times better! On a campus with nearly 100 rooms, collecting recyclable waste is a big job for one or even two people. Thanks to the students’ involvement, our team saves around an hour each week. We’ve also noticed that students are generally more responsible throughout the entire building because they think more about what they use and what they throw away.”

The YBPT programme is now over a year old and still going strong. The collaboration and leadership demonstrated by the YBPT students has encouraged and motivated others, and the scheme has now expanded to include classroom energy monitors, a Playground Squad, and has led to the establishment of The ISD Earth Rescue Club.

The yellow bins themselves were originally purchased in 2019 as the result of a classroom action by four grade 4 students. They noticed a lack of plastic recycling in classrooms, and wanted to make a change. They raised money through bake sales and other activities, and spent time during lunch break and after school planning the roll-out of their project. The four girls, now in grade 8, are understandably proud of their achievement. “We are all really happy that the Elementary School still has the yellow bins and that they are now being used for Yellow Bin Pick-Up Time, and that other grade 4 students are taking responsibility for sorting and recycling waste and helping our school, our Hausmeisters, and our planet.”

Über den International School of Düsseldorf e.V.

Founded in 1968, the International School Düsseldorf (ISD) is a non-profit, independent, co-educational day school located in the heart of the international community of Düsseldorf. As one of the oldest and largest international schools in Germany, ISD offers national and international qualifications to around 1000 students from more than 53 countries. All income is reinvested in the school and benefits the students.

The school has a proud history of helping young people realise their dreams and ambitions in all walks of life and in all parts of the world. ISD provides an outstanding education that prepares students to succeed and inspires them to make a difference; an education that equips them with the skills and abilities to meet the global challenges they face. ISD strives to provide each student with the individual support they need to thrive, discover joy in learning, become autonomous and intrinsically motivated, and ultimately become the architect of their own future.

The school is proud to be the only school in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region that is authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) and fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The school is also a member of the Association of German International Schools (AGIS) and the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS).

Firmenkontakt und Herausgeber der Meldung:

International School of Düsseldorf e.V.
Niederrheinstrasse 336
40489 Düsseldorf
Telefon: +49 (211) 94066
Telefax: +49 (211) 9406804
https://www.isdedu.de/

Ansprechpartner:
Alexander Cervantes
Marketing
Telefon: 02119406822
E-Mail: cervantesa@isdedu.de
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