The state of the environment in Bucharest schools should represent for all of us – and especially for parents with school-age children – an essential concern, having a direct impact on the health and education of students. In this context, the ECOTECA Association launches the “ECO School” project, an online resource that will help educational units transform into healthier and more environmentally friendly spaces. Through this approach, the project addresses three critical aspects in the first phase: air quality, waste management and sanitary facilities, offering practical and educational solutions for the entire school community.
Transforming schools into sustainability models can represent a viable strategy for local authorities in addressing environmental problems. These institutions, having a central role in communities, can become engines of change by integrating concrete and efficient measures. The approach is not limited to reducing the carbon footprint or managing resources efficiently; it can generate a multiplier effect, influencing families, teachers and other local institutions to follow suit. For municipalities, collaborating with schools to implement green projects can create a beneficial partnership, offering concrete solutions to achieve environmental objectives.
An example of good practice in this regard, the ECO Student project, implemented by the ECOTECA Association at the Fundeni-Dobroești Secondary School No. 2, Ilfov, aims to create a sustainable school model, capable of inspiring the entire community. Among the actions carried out are equipping the school with separate waste collection systems and a garden composter, thus facilitating a significant reduction in the amount of waste generated. Sensors were installed to monitor air quality, both inside and outside the school, as well as at the nearby kindergarten, providing real-time data essential for adopting solutions to ensure a healthy environment.
The project also included educational sessions on waste management, greening activities and a composting workshop, all of which involved students and the school community in an awareness-raising and adoption of good practices. These actions transformed the school into an example of good practices that can be replicated for other educational institutions, demonstrating that sustainable measures contribute both to environmental protection and to the education of future generations.
The ScoalaECO.ro platform: a tool for ecological transformation
The “ECO School” project has at its core the online platform ScoalaECO.ro, officially launched on November 28, 2024, during the “Preparing Green Schools” conference. This platform offers schools the opportunity to monitor, self-assess and compare their environmental performance based on seven categories of indicators, from air quality and waste management to sanitary facilities, carbon footprint, awareness programs and energy efficiency.
ScoalaECO.ro facilitates the exchange of good practices, promotes sustainable solutions and generates synthetic reports accessible to the community and authorities. This tool thus becomes a bridge between schools, local administrations, community and civic organizations, contributing to more efficient environmental management.
The launch event of the platform brings together relevant actors in the field of education and environmental protection. The conference includes practical presentations given by experts such as Mona Nicolici (journalist, producer of TVR and EuropaFM), Oana Neneciu (Executive Director of Ecopolis), Sergiu Sebesi (CSR Nest) and Raul Pop, Director of Programs of the ECOTECA Association.
Through technical explanations, demonstrations of the platform’s functionalities and networking sessions, participants – teachers, school principals and members of local communities – will be able to discuss applicable solutions for environmental management in schools.
“What is not measured is not truly managed; environmental indicators are no exception. Schools are an example in the community, whether we are talking about their essential mission, that of training competent and responsible citizens, or about models of good practice and institutional management. We try, through the ScoalaECO.ro platform, to help them on their path to environmental sustainability. All our colleagues in the civic area can help and have been doing this for years. We thank them!”, said Raul Pop, Director of Programs at ECOTECA.
The “ECO School” project has the ambition to become a national model of ecological education, capable of inspiring and guiding other schools in the implementation of efficient environmental management. The ultimate goal is to create a healthier school environment, reflecting sustainable principles and educating generations more responsible for the planet.
Through the ScoalaECO.ro platform, the “Preparing Green Schools” conference and the applied workshops, the Ecoteca Association demonstrates that environmental management in schools is not only possible, but also essential for the future of education and local communities.
