Earth Day at Dulwich Pudong: Actions Matter

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Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong
Earth Day

 

On this Earth Day our message to the community is simple: actions matter.

Across the College our students engaged in a wide range of activities and stimulations to highlight the importance of Earth Day; you can see what our students were up to in more detail below. However, it is very important to highlight that the Earth Day events at our schools aren't exclusive to this day but rather a chance to spotlight our approach to the earth that we have every day. We are working towards environmental sustainability and global citizenship being not just something we do, but a part of who we are. In essence, Earth Day is every day.

Earth Day is an opportunity to capture a few of the actions we are taking individually and collectively to see a better planet. Once the sun on Earth Day has set, the focus will invariably shift to another worthy topic, but our sustainability actions must - and will - continue. Our Dulwich schools are glowing examples of the days, months and years of work that allow our Dulwich College International group to make announcements like carbon mapping to be carbon neutral, or displays from our students showcasing their increasing environmental literacy and competency.  

Earth Day plant-based themed lunch

Our actions matter, now and for the future. Turning off the light isn't just about the CO² saved - which is good – but more significantly it’s the behaviour that shows that "my actions matter", and when one person makes good choices, it equals positive impacts and can act to inspire others to do the same.

We are very excited about all the events that took place in our school, at our sister schools, and in our head office this past Earth Week, but we are just as excited each day where the next set of announcements are being built through wonderful intentions and ambitions to Live Worldwise, knowing that our actions matter.

Below is a small selection of events which took place last week across Dulwich Pudong:

DUCKS

A student-led discussion about Earth Day took place across DUCKS asking questions like what do we already know about Earth Day? Why do we have Earth Day? What do we already do to help? Should we just do these things for 1 day or 1 week?

There was a range of classroom activities including Earth related provocations, scavenger hunts in the playground, poetry, posters, and reusing materials to create art.

There was also an Earth Day assembly for Key Stage 1 where we learned the song "1 World To Care For" and told the story, "The Earth Gives More".

Junior School

Under the theme of "Restore the Earth", Junior School students constructed mini greenhouses with recycled bottles which they will use to grow herbs in the classroom. These will decorate the classrooms as the herbs grow in the sunlight by the windows and the students will get to check daily on their progress helping to inspire them all about the wonders of nature. They will take these herbs home at the end of the term. 

Students used a glass wall to write down their own personal environmental pledges.

Student record their environmental pledges

Senior School

Senior School students held assemblies presented by the Sustainability CCA in which they encouraged students to take action, particularly around the issue of water use.

Senior School Sustainability CCA students present on Earth Day

A form group competition was held to produce a display with an environmental message made using recycled / upcycled materials.

This week’s GC journal, also produced by the Sustainability CCA, focused on water scarcity.

An addition, across the entire College, we held a Protein Swap Challenge where students who chose plant-based options for lunch earned points for their House. As part of the Challenge there were instructional videos and posters aimed at showing students the positive impact they were having simply by foregoing meat for a day.

Protein Swap Challenge in the DUCKS Dining Hall

Let’s all do our part to make a difference for the benefit of the planet, not just on Earth Day, but every day. 

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