By Cansu Doğru
Director of Early Birds Istanbul Kindergarten & Founder of Outdoor School Istanbul Kindergarten
Did you know that a kindergarten can obtain international Eco-School status? It is possible, and if you already implement many ecological practices, it is a natural goal to strive for.
It took two years, and the Green Flag was ours. We are now a certifiedeco-kindergarten!
What is the Eco-School program about?
The Eco-School program is a broad program that requires joint efforts in many areas, such as internal curricula, cooperation between staff and children, and children's committees that carry out and monitor these activities. It also involves external parties, including parents and the community or city administration. The planning, implementation, and reporting of these activities in visual and written form, as well as regular presentations at the end of each period, are essential components.
The process was very exciting for all of us. Meeting the requirements of this two-year project alongside our regular program was not difficult. The topic we focused on was recycling. The frequent use of natural and recycled materials, which are already part of our concept, made our project much easier. So nothing unusual for us at EBI Kindergarten! We have incorporated all these recycling aspects from the very beginning, since the kindergarten opened in 2019.
After completing the required two annual plans and four reports, an inspector visited our kindergarten to review our work on site.
Beaming with pride and joy, the children explained all the details of our recycling project to the Eco-School inspector. No question was left unanswered; on the contrary, the inspector was impressed by the environment created by and with children at EBI. Everyone was very proud when the Green Flag results were announced and we learned that we had qualified.
To receive this award, two members of the EBI team traveled to Ankara and accepted our Green Flag.
Finally, we organized a special day to celebrate this good news together. On this day, everyone wore green, we served a green menu, and we waved our flag together. We celebrated with songs and dances. This is another tradition at EBI: we always celebrate our successes together!
A big thank you to the children and all the staff at EBİ. We look forward to the adventures that await us!