FEE Head Office Teambuilding Day

Sustainability and urban development were on the agenda on 30 August when the FEE Head Office visited projects around Copenhagen during their teambuilding summer outing.

Our first stop was the Maritime Allotments, where they are experimenting with the production of oysters, mussels and seaweed in the clean water of Copenhagen’s harbour. This community-based aquaculture project aims at strengthening the link between production and consumption through producing local and sustainable seafood.

During our second visit - to Tagtomat (translated into English as Roof Tomato) we became familiar with an urban gardening initiative that started in May 2011. It began on the roof of their backyard’s garbage shelter and has now spread all over Denmark and Scandinavia. We visited many more of these green spots in the city and learnt about the challenges of creating such an innovative project.

It was a great opportunity to meet some of the people working on these inspiring projects in Copenhagen and we are immensely grateful to them for hosting us and showing us around.

A special thanks is extended to Bodil Sofie Espersen from Maritime Allotments and Anne Tange from Tagtomat.

Mentor Visit to Tanzania

On his recent trip to Tanzania, Nikos Petrou, FEE’s Board Member, visited some Eco-Schools projects.

In Mkindo, a village in the Mvomero District of the Morogoro Region in the central-eastern part of Tanzania, students from the Eco-Schools Committee participated in a meeting with members of the village council, representatives of the Parents Association and their teachers, as well as education officials from the Mvomero District. The meeting was held to discuss the challenges the school faces, and to plan the future steps and activities of the Eco-Schools programme. The students in this school, some 800, have elected their representatives democratically. Through Eco-Schools, the children have a voice in matters affecting the school, but also the village and their whole community.

Nikos Petrou also visited Hebeti, where a banana plantation was created in February 2017 with financial support from the Danish Outdoor Council. Even though the 780 trees were planted just six months ago, they have produced crops which are almost ready for harvest. Some of the bananas will be used for school lunches, and the surplus will be sold, generating a substantial annual income that will be used to improve the school buildings and acquire necessary materials. The Eco-Schools Committee will decide on how the money will be spent. Many of the Eco-Schools in Tanzania are implementing these types of micro-projects, which will provide much needed financial support for the schools. Despite the short period of implementation (less than a year for most of them) these simple but effective sustainable development initiatives have attracted the interest of local villagers, and already several have started similar activities.

Furthermore, Nikos Petrou noted that less than a year ago, this lush schoolyard in Lusanga was just bare, dusty earth. One of the first activities of the Eco-Schools Committee was to plant grass and flowers in the yard and playground.  They used coloured plastic bottles to delineate the paths in an imaginative form of reuse. The children, guided by teacher Anasali Mamkwe, have also created a nursery, with some 10,000 seedlings, mostly fruit trees, but also Teak for which there is much demand. Many fruit trees have been planted in the school grounds to provide food for the children, but the bulk of the seedlings will be sold to generate income for improving the school. This micro-project has already attracted imitators in the village.

30th Anniversary Donation from the Wrigley Company Foundation

30th Anniversary Donation

In recognition of the 30th Anniversary of the Wrigley Company Foundation, FEE was privileged to be awarded a generous donation of $300,000 USD. In collaboration it was agreed to spend the grant on three strategic objectives of FEE.

Firstly, it will be used to develop the inaugural Global Forest Fund which is a unique non-profit tool on the carbon offsetting market. The fund not only accounts for harmful carbon emissions through tree planting activities, it does so in conjunction with environmental rejuvenation and awareness initiatives which improve the environmental literacy of communities worldwide.

Secondly, the grant will serve to expand FEE’s geographical reach. It will help establish the first Emerging Eco-Schools Fund which aims to provide countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with better opportunities to join and implement the Eco-Schools programme, both through financial support as well as collaborative activities within the global FEE network. 

Thirdly, the grant will serve as an important investment in FEE’s capacity to communicate. It will allow FEE to develop its abilities to transmit the work of the organisation throughout the world and to bring a myriad of success stories into the light.

Daniel Schaffer, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education, notes:
"We are very thankful for this award from the Wrigley Company Foundation and for their recognition of the importance of these areas. The grant will help increase our impact significantly in the future."

PRESS RELEASE: Litter Less Campaign Phase III

The Litter Less Campaign: Six years and still going strong

Contact: Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director
Foundation for Environmental Education
E: gosia@fee.global

September 2017 marks the beginning of Phase III (year 7) of the Litter Less Campaign, a joint initiative of the Wrigley Company Foundation and the Foundation for Environmental Education. The Campaign aims to engage and educate children and young people on the issue of litter and encourage them to make positive choices.

Two phases have been completed over the past six years, and the continued collaboration confirms the importance of the work and the on-going necessity of dealing with issues of litter and encouraging thoughtful behaviour from early on.

The main objectives of the Campaign are to:

• raise awareness of the effect of litter and waste on the local environment
• increase knowledge and practical skills in preventing and managing litter and waste
• improve students’ behaviour and the schools’ waste management treatment
• report on litter issues
• encourage collaboration between schools for spreading good practices
• tackle the issue of litter with active involvement from the local community

The partnership between the Wrigley Company Foundation and FEE already has a history of over six years of very effective collaboration. Phase II of the Litter Less Campaign began in 2014 and since then has been running in 35 countries in schools which engage in two of the FEE programmes - Eco-Schools (ES) and Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE). Over the full period of implementation of the Campaign, since 2011, 1,962,285 students in 3,184 schools from all over the world have been engaged. Such reach suggests that there is undoubtedly an impact on participants’ perceptions, behaviour and opinion leadership. In 2015-2016, a total of 1,356 Community Action Days were held and 240 schools introduced recycling systems.

For a short video about the achievements of the Litter Less Campaign Phase I and II, click here.

The Litter Less Campaign is our organisation’s largest project that embeds a positive and fruitful partnership between the Wrigley Company Foundation as the enabler, and FEE, its members, National Operators and participating schools as the implementers. This strong relationship allows for transparency and flexibility, which is ultimately what ensures the delivery of a fantastic Campaign.

Anne Vela-Wagner, Wrigley Company Foundation Executive Director, notes:
“The Wrigley Company Foundation is proud of the positive transformation that has occurred in schools and communities around the world through the Litter Less campaign. Teaching students to be leaders and work to change littering behaviour and improve their communities is the strength of the program”.

The new Phase III will engage schools from 15 countries from both the YRE and Eco-Schools programmes. At the end of the project, we plan to have over half a million of students involved in practical activities related to litter prevention. Our target is to change students’ behaviour and increase understanding and action around litter prevention by an additional 10% of the students we serve.

Daniel Schaffer, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education, adds:
“The Litter Less Campaign is a textbook example of how positive collaboration between the corporate world and a respected NGO can realise a shared vision. We highly appreciate the long-term partnership with the Wrigley Company Foundation and we are extremely grateful for the possibility of moving the Litter Less Campaign into Phase III. Their strong commitment and support cannot be taken for granted.”

Participating through the Young Reporters for the Environment Programme:

• Australia
• China 
• India
• Ireland
• Israel
• Malta 
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
• Spain
• Wales

Participating through the Eco-Schools Programme:

• Australia
• China
• England
• India 
• Ireland 
• Kenya
• Mexico 
• Northern Ireland
• Russia
• Scotland
• Spain 
• Wales

About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE)

With members in 76 countries around the world, FEE’s programmes represent the cutting edge in Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education. It is the vision of the Foundation for Environmental Education that its programmes empower people everywhere to live sustainably and in an environmentally conscious manner.

About the Wrigley Company Foundation

The Wrigley Company Foundation has awarded more than $70 million USD since its establishment in 1987. With a focus on oral health, the environment, particularly education for litter prevention, and improving Wrigley’s site and sourcing communities, it works to build brighter futures around the world.

About Wrigley

Wrigley is a recognized leader in confections with a wide range of product offerings including gum, mints, hard and chewy candies, and lollipops. Wrigley's world-famous brands – including Extra®, Orbit®, Doublemint®, and 5™ chewing gums, as well as confectionery brands Skittles®, Starburst®, Altoids® and Life Savers® – create simple pleasures for consumers every day. With operations across 50 countries and distribution in more than 180 countries, Wrigley's brands bring smiles to faces around the globe. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, employs approximately 15,000 associates globally, and operates as a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated.
 
Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN’S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 85,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

REPORT FROM EnE17, BELGRADE, SERBIA - Incentive professionals and young people

The 13th Regional Conference ‘’Environment to Europe - EnE17’’ was held on June 5, 2017 in Belgrade (Serbia) to address issues related to Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development. Traditionally, this Conference has been organized by the professional association “Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development” and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The Conference was UN WED event and a ESDW (European Sustainable Development Week) event. A Panel on Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development was also held as the part of the Conference. The Panel was attended by top local and foreign experts in the field of education, climate change and the environment.

The Conference participants (about 100 registered participants) agreed the following: education on climate changes is very important in order to be able to mitigate the consequences of climate changes and to adapt to them. Key role should have educational institutions to prepare and implement multidisciplinary programs tailored to different educational institutions and different age categories. Education on climate change requires professionals who will work with young people, to be prepared to make the right decisions in the future. Discussion was directed to try to provide answers on questions how to be more effective in environmental protection and responsive to nature.

During the special part of the Conference, awarded ceremony for the best Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), was performed. They took part in the national competition, "Save resources, do not throw, recycle!" The competition is organized in the framework of the International Young Reporters for the Environment, implemented in Serbia by a professional association “Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development” and supported by RECAN Foundation. The awards have been given by Mrs Aleksandra Mladenovic, President of the Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development, Ms. Milena Tabasevic, coordinator of the Young Reporters for the Environment in Serbia and Mrs. Jelena Kis, manager of the RECAN Foundation for recycling beverage cans.

More information about the event: http://ambassadors-env.com/

FEE at the United Nations Ocean Conference

Daniel Schaffer, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education, has recently participated in the United Nations Ocean Conference which was held in New York from 5th to 9th June. Daniel, attending in the capacity of a panellist, took part in fruitful discussions and presented the Foundation for Environmental Education and its programmes while highlighting our commitment to Ocean Literacy worldwide.

The opening statement was given by Ms Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General.

FEE Annual Report 2016 published

In May 2017 we published our latest Annual Report. You can now download it and find all our previous Annual Reports here. 

Enjoy reading!

Board of Directors' Meeting in Copenhagen

The April FEE Board of Directors’ Meeting is always hosted in Copenhagen at the FEE Head Office. This year it took place on Friday 21 April.

This annual event is a great opportunity for the Board of Directors to meet with the staff to get a better insight into the everyday work of the Head Office and the management of the programmes. On this occasion, all International Directors participated in the meeting to report on the latest achievements and challenges in their programmes. All agree it was great to be able to talk and discuss relevant subjects face to face.

Back-to-back with the Board of Directors’ Meeting, the Blue Flag International Jury and the Green Key Steering Committee meetings took place. The Board members responsible for these programme contributed and played an important role.  

In short, it was, as always, an enjoyable recurring event. The Head Office is always happy to welcome the Board of Directors to Copenhagen!

Keep Britain Tidy welcomes country’s first-ever Litter Strategy

Story provided by Keep Britain Tidy, www.keepbritaintidy.org

Government backs Eco-Schools programme to educate the next generation

We have welcomed the launch of the Government’s Litter Strategy for England, published today.

The Strategy identifies Eco-Schools, the world’s biggest environmental education programme, which is run by Keep Britain Tidy in England, as a key mechanism to educate children and young people about the impact of litter.

Eco-Schools has already received support from the Prime Minister who has visited two in her constituency since September last year.

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said: “Educating the next generation is vital if we are to win the war on litter. Our children and young people are the key to making littering a thing of the past.

“Learning about litter and its impacts, as part of their wider environmental education, must be a central pillar of the concerted effort needed to tackle the problem once and for all.”

Last month more than 300,000 people, including thousands of school children, took part in Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, clearing more than half a million bags of rubbish from our streets, parks, beaches and countryside.

The Government has recognised the value of this initiative in the Strategy, not simply to remove litter from the environment but also to raise awareness that a growing number of people want to see an end to littering and are prepared to take action.

Allison said: “We are delighted that the Government has pledged its continued support and endorsement of the Great British Spring Clean and to use its influence to encourage participation and support from people and businesses.”

The Government’s decision to set up a working group to look at how economic measures could help reduce littering is also a positive step, given the success of the 5p charge on single-use carrier bags.

Keep Britain Tidy runs awards programmes, including the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for beaches, the Green Flag Award for parks and the Keep Britain Tidy Award for public spaces and the Government identifies these as being central to creating litter-free environments in the Strategy and says it will encourage land managers to apply for these awards to ensure their efforts are recognised.

The charity also welcomes the Government’s pledge to introduce regulations that will allow local authorities to issue penalty charge notices to the registered keeper of a vehicle if litter is thrown from it, which will make it easier for local authorities to tackle the problem of roadside litter, which is difficult and costly to clear.

Keep Britain Tidy has been at the forefront of developing and testing innovations to tackle littering, some of which are identified in the Strategy, and we are delighted that the Government has pledged to set up a Litter Innovation Fund to support the development of affordable and scalable solutions that are proven to make a difference.

Allison added: “There is much to commend in this Strategy and we look forward to seeing some ambitious targets from the Government and effective monitoring to ensure that the Strategy makes the measurable difference we all want to see.”

You can read the litter strategy in full here.

Daniel Schaffer’s Visit to Scotland

Last week, Daniel Schaffer, CEO of the Foundation for Environmental Education, visited Scotland to participate in the celebration of the award of their 2,000th Green Flag.

The event was hosted by Eco-School St Johns RC Academy in Perth, which was awarded its first Green Flag. The Deputy First Minister John Swinney was present along with other local representatives.

Daniel Schaffer highlighted that: “Eco-Schools connects over 15 million children, young people and educators through sustainable development education and is the biggest formal learning network in the world – with young people from 64 countries involved.  It is wonderful that Scotland has achieved this milestone. It stands as proof for the huge possibilities that can be attained when civil society and government work hand in hand to reach common goals based on positive actions.”

FEE visit to the Indian Ocean States

Our CEO, Daniel Schaffer, left our Head Office in Copenhagen a week ago on a mission: to visit our FEE members in the Indian Ocean States.

Thanks to the great collaboration between our organisation and the Indian Ocean Commission in the region, Daniel has completed a successful series of meetings with local representatives, talking about the five FEE programmes (Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Green Key, Learning about Forests, Young Reporters for the Environment).

Follow his blog here.

PRESS RELEASE: FEE and General Motors sign a Partnership Agreement to run the Pilot Year of the Eco-Green Project

Contact: Rikke Florager, Administrative Director | E: rikke@fee.global
Laura Piñeiro, Communications Assistant | E: laura@fee.global

Copenhagen, 09 February  2017 - The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and General Motors (GM) have signed a Sponsorship Agreement to build together a strong Global Environmental Educational Project. The project name is Eco-Green Project, which be launched in Brazil February 2017 and in three other countries throughout the world (Germany, Poland and Spain) in September 2017.

The project aims to engage LEAF member countries alongside GM facilities in a drive to improve sustainability in local communities. Together they develop goals and action plans that result in on-the-ground school and community actions for a sustainable future. 

The emphasis will be on General Motor’s sustainability topics and FEE’s environmental educational programmes, and will include topics such as water, biodiversity, forests, healthy living and eco-system services. During the Pilot Year, the project will focus on the theme, Forests and Water. 

Objectives of the project

• Ensure students learn to enjoy the outdoors, experience and observe
• Increase awareness about Forests and Water and ensure students are capable of making decisions on environmental issues
• Develop young people as advocates for conservation & promotion of local environmental and biodiversity actions – ensure students take responsibility for their future
• Develop a project that is easy to apply to all types of educational facilities
• Promote critical thinking by ‘learn by doing’ study approach
• Select science based resources to allow teachers to promote environmental education activities

Who can participate? Schools will be selected by the National Operator in each of the participating countries.

If you are representing a school from one of the participating countries, and your school is interested in joining project, please contact your National Operator directly. Contact details can be found on LEAF or Eco-Schools websites on the 'Contact' page.

More information about the project can be found on the Eco-Green Project website.

FEE Volunteering Day 2016

On Friday 16 December, the FEE Head Office team spent the morning volunteering at Danish Red Cross, by taking part in their annual Christmas Sale. Our task was packing up the remaining clothes and cleaning up after the two-day event. FEE has supported this project by volunteering for the last two years and we were delighted to have the opportunity to support such a worthy cause again.

Danish Red Cross organises this annual sale, at which a large variety of items donated by well-known fashion designers and manufacturers are sold at incredibly low prices. The money from the sale is then donated to the work Red Cross does for vulnerable people around the world. This year most of the money they made went to Syria. 

Board of Directors’ Meeting in Copenhagen

The FEE Board of Directors’ Meeting took place on 29th November at the FEE Head Office in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Board of Directors are in charge of the overall political management of FEE and their responsibilities include ensuring compliance with the organisation’s objectives and values, recommending policies and plans, approving membership applications, and monitoring performance in relation to plans, budgets, etc. 

The Board usually meet four times a year, normally in February, April, June and October.  The November meeting was an extraordinary one in order to introduce the newly elected Board members. On this occasion, the new Board members arrived a day early to be introduced to FEE Head Office, the International Directors and learn about their political responsibilities regarding the programmes. They were also presented with other tasks for the Board and were brought up to speed with work carried out by the former Board. 

The main issues for discussion at the meeting were the FEE programmes, annual action plans, financial reporting, and sponsorships.

Back-to-back with the BoD meeting, the Learning about Forests (LEAF) International Steering Committee (ISC) meeting took place. The ISC is responsible for supporting and advising the International LEAF Director. The ISC meet twice a year to discuss the development of the LEAF programme.

FEE Contributed to Education for Sustainable Development in Bogotá

With the goal of contributing to the development of an environmental culture in educational activity and generating environmentally responsible behaviour in institutions for students and teachers, the educational centres: Gimnasio Moderno, Gimnasio Femenino and Colegio Los Nogales organised the II Meeting of Education for Sustainability on 4 November, 2016, at the Centro Cultural of the Gimnasio Moderno School in Bogotá, Colombia.

Public and private schools that are currently working on Education for Sustainability Projects participated in the meeting. Many national and international guests also attended. Janeira Duran, National Operator for Eco­-Schools in the Dominican Republic, represented Foundation for Environmental Education and held a presentation about the Eco-Schools programme and network.

Numerous topics, including schools’ environmental projects, collaborative networks, and cultural and creative industries in education for sustainability were addressed and discussed at the meeting.

Janeira Duran’s participation and presentation of the development of the Eco-Schools programme at a global level, was of great interest and motivation to all participants, as was her introduction to FEE, its programmes, initiatives and methodologies.  All agreed that the implementation of the programme would be a great contribution to the strengthening of environmental education in Colombia.

At the request of the organisers, Janeira visited Gimnasio Moderno, Gimnasio Femenino and Los Nogales School with the aim of inspiring and motivating.  She held workshops which explained strategies to educators of different subjects, so that they can develop and implement pedagogical practices that contribute to the formation of values, knowledge, skills and competencies for sustainability – all from the Eco-Schools programme methodology.

In the visits made to the schools, it was possible to learn more about and appreciate the excellent initiatives implemented in topics such as: water saving, healthy eating, recycling, biodiversity, school garden development, and others.

FEE will be at COP22 in Marrakech

Copenhagen, November 2016  – the Climate Change Conference (COP22) will take place at Bab Ighli in Marrakech, Morocco from 7-18 November 2016.

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is once again hosting a conference, this time the theme is: “Climate Change from school to home – Teaching children to modify family behaviour”. It will take place at the Green Zone on the 14th November from 17:00-18:30 (room: Tensift). The Green Zone is open for the general public by accreditation only. Please find more information about accreditation for the Green Zone here:

“Climate Change from school to home – Teaching children to modify family behaviour”

Article 6 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change emphases the importance of education as a solution for climate change. Through FEE's experiences, we have been observing students of all ages are powerful agents of change: their education can impact the behavior of people close to them and move them towards more sustainable lifestyles and help to adapt to the consequences of climate change. The panel-format conference aims at exploring how this could be achieved in today’s educational systems, highlighting some good practices, addressing possibilities and the difficulties of multiplying the effects of environmental education outside of the school.

Foundation for Environmental Education will invite guest speakers playing different roles, e.g. student, educator, local government, civil society to share their experiences and thoughts around the theme.

Other events

FEE will be presenting at the Young Reporters for the Environtment (YRE) Workshop “Forum des Jeunes Reporters” which will take place on the 14th November from 9:00-10:30 (room: Moulouya). This event is hosted by our Moroccan Member organisation, Mohammed VI Foundation for The Protection of the Environment.

FEE is also invited to the high level session “Education - A Key Driver to Scale-Up Climate Action” in Blue Zone.

Please help us tweet this news using the hashtags #FEECOP22 #FEEClimateEducation

Contact: Yukiko Tsuburaya | E: yukiko@fee.global

PRESS RELEASE: YRE International Competition

Contact: Gosia Luszczek, International YRE Director | E: gosia@fee.global
Yukiko Tsuburaya, International YRE Assistant | E: yukiko@fee.global

Copenhagen, October 2016

Do you feel passionate about the environment? Do you want to get the chance to show your photo, video or article to everyone? Don't hesitate and participate with us in the International YRE Competition. The winning entries will be published internationally on the Huffington Post Kids and on the YRE International website!
YRE international competition is for winners of YRE National Competition in country running YRE programme. Students who are participating in the YRE programme in each country has a right to participate in the competition. Students have to compete and be selected as national winner to be sent to the international competition.

International Competition categories
 
YRE International Competition is consisted of three different categories.
 
International Competition – open for all countries with every theme, except for the theme litter for countries participating in the Litter Less Campaign. Countries that are not participating in the campaign, still can submit entries related to litter problem.

Litter Less Campaign – theme litter, open for countries that are involved in the Litter Less Campaign: Israel, Romania, France, Portugal, Slovakia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, China, India, and Ireland
* Please note that the submissions under the theme of Litter from Litter Less Campaign countries will be evaluated separately, and the winners will receive recognitions with a certificate.

International Collaboration – open for all countries with 3 recommended themes from 17 Sustainable Development Goals: 11-Sustainable Cities, 12-Responsible consumption & production, 13-Climate action. The submission must be a form of “Article” and a collaborative work between 2 countries, and it is open for the age category 15-18 years old.

More information: http://www.yre.global/
 

Download the information pack

PRESS RELEASE: A landmark General Assembly for the Foundation for Environmental Education

Contact: Rikke Florager, Administrative Director | E: rikke@fee.global
Nicole Andreou, Communications Assistant | E: nicole@fee.global

Copenhagen 23 September 2016 – During the two-day General Assembly in Ahmedabad, India, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) member organisations elected a new President and Board of Directors. Officials from 75 countries represented their national NGOs in discussing and deciding on the future strategy for FEE and its five environmental education programmes.

On 15 September, the first day of the assembly, participants discussed the 2014-2016 activity of FEE and its programmes; Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Green Key, Learning about Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment; the strategic plan and objectives for 2016-2020; financial issues; and developments in the organisation concerning its trademarks and logos, communications, and fundraising strategies. Following the membership evaluation process, conducted by FEE Head Office, new and existing members were confirmed, and finally, the new FEE President and Board of Directors were elected.

The election results are as follows:

President: Lesley Jones, Keep Wales Tidy (Wales)
Lesley Jones has been the CEO of Keep Wales Tidy since 2010 and the Vice-President of the Foundation for Environmental Education since 2014. Lesley has served on a number of Boards and Committees including the Vice Chair of the Association of British Credit Unions, a public appointee on the Welsh Government's Financial Inclusion Advisory Group and a member of Co-operatives UK New Ventures Panel.

Board of Directors:
Amine Ahlafi, Mohamed VI Foundation (Morocco)
Boris Šušmak, Društvo DOVES - FEE Slovenia (Slovenia)
Ian Humphreys, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (Northern Ireland)
José Hendriksen, FEE Netherlands (The Netherlands)
Laura Hickey, National Wildlife Federation (USA)
Lourdes Díaz Colon, Organisation for Sustainable Environment - OPAS (Puerto Rico)
Nikos Petrou, Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (Greece)
 
Lesley Jones, newly elected FEE President, noted: ”It is a privilege and an honour to be elected President of FEE at a stimulating and exciting General Assembly hosted by our member in India.  As we move forward into a new stage in the progress and development of FEE, I look forward to working with the rest of the Board, FEE members and staff in the spirit of mutual support, enthusiasm and fun which I have come to value so much over the past few years.  I would like to recognise our out-going President, Jan Eriksen, who has led our great organisation over the last 12 years through remarkable developments and changes.  His commitment and vision have played a huge part in bringing us to where we are today -  a truly global force for good”.

On 16 September, the assembly concluded with Members Forum sessions on fundraising; best practices in cross-country cooperation; regional cooperation; cross-programme collaboration; and general programme presentations.

At the General Assembly Jan Eriksen, founding member and President of the Foundation for Environmental Education 2004-2016, was recognised as an Honorary Member.
 

 
About the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) www.fee.global
 
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1981. With members in 75 countries to-date, FEE and its five programmes, Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Green Key, Learning about Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment represent the cutting edge in Education for Sustainable Development and Environmental Education.

Download the PDF.

FEE Story Book published

In September 2016 FEE published the story of the organisation, as told through interviews by Jan Eriksen, FEE President 2004-2016, and Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director. You can download the FEE Story Book here.

Join the Outdoor Classroom Day campaign on 6 October!

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire learning and play outside the classroom! Building on the UK’s Empty Classroom Day, the aim is to get as many children as possible outside for at least one lesson in the school day – because lessons learnt outdoors often stay with us for life.

The campaign recognises that play is important too! As well as being fun, play teaches children critical life skills, such as resilience, teamwork, leadership and creativity. And parents agree – 75 per cent of those surveyed believe children learn social skills when they play outdoors*.

With increasing pressures on childhood, kids today are too often overprotected, overscheduled, and overly attached to screens, and yet all parents and teachers want is for children to grow up happy and develop the skills they need for the future. That’s why it’s more crucial than ever before to help get children outdoors.

Whether you’re a teacher, organisation or an individual that cares about childhood, there’s a way for everyone to get involved. Teachers can take a class or the whole school outdoors for at least one lesson on 6th October; organisations can help promote the campaign; and individuals can join in the conversation about the benefits of play and ‘learning by doing’.

With everyone’s support, we can make sure children everywhere enjoy their childhood and have the foundations they need for the life they want to live.

Play for today, prepared for tomorrow.

Join the global movement at: http://bit.ly/29NJFZQ

*Edelman Berland for Unilever, 2016

Outdoor Classroom Day is backed by Unilever’s Dirt is Good brands, coordinated nationally by Project Dirt, and led in specific countries by local NGOs.