2010 - 2012
Last year Larkin Community College was awarded the Green Schools Program Flag for the Litter and Waste Theme. The college implemented the 7 steps recommended by the program to achieve their first green flag for waste.
Green-Schools Committee
Committee is composed of students from all years, staff, parents & external volunteers.
Transition year students are responsible for the co-ordination & management of committee meetings.
Committee meetings take place a minimum of 4 times each academic session.
Committee members monitor, implement changes to improve or enhance existing practices in waste management at LCC.
Committee members also develop new programs that will progress the college towards ensuring the other themes in the Green Schools Program are implemented.
Environmental Review
The environmental review involved establishing current waste management practices at the college using a standard SWOT Analysis where the committee established the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats before devising an action plan to support waste recycling.
Action Plan
A comprehensive internal & external recycling program was established and implemented in the college to replace the practice of dumping all college waste in a permanent on-site skip, saving €8000 per annum.
The recycling program involved included internal & external stations for paper, plastics, food, glass, phones, batteries & WEEE & clothing.
Waste management is a whole-school initiative & responsibility is shared by all.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring was carried out by the Green Schools committee, transition year students, maintenance staff & management.
Practices that did not prove to be successful were altered or abandoned in exchange for new practices that would allow efficient recycling of waste that meet the needs of all those involved in the program’s maintenance.
Curriculum Links
Curriculum links were established in many subjects with particular emphasis on Art, Home Economics, Geography, English, Irish, Italian, whole-school Literacy & Science. An Environmental Resource Pack is planned for 2012/13 to be used as part of future Action Weeks for all Green Schools Themes.
Informing and Involving
Informing & involving is a hugely important and needs to be a continuous process no matter how many flags a school may be awarded.
LCC transition year students carry out a Green Schools Program Induction program every year to all Junior Certificate students at the college.
For the academic session 2011/12, transition year students have extended this program to one of the local primary schools (Central Model Senior School), with hopes to extend the program to all the local primary schools in future years. The program involves;
Induction to Green Schools Program
Litter Pick – CMSS to LCC.
Eco Art & Literacy – 3 Weeks.
Eco Planting – 3 Weeks.
Celebration at LCC Green Schools Program Launch – Waste Theme.
Funding awarded by An Taisce’s Neat Streets Program was matched by LCC & €400 was spent on pens made from recycled materials (supplied by Klee Paper, 89 North Circular Road, Dublin 7). A pen is given to all those who attend the induction & sign a code of environmental behaviour. This is hoped to promote the LCC Green Schools Program.
Action Week & Green Code
Each year LCC hosts a Green Schools Program Action week to continually promote the good practices in waste management that have been set in place and also to promote new programs being set up under the other four themes.
The action week includes:
Green Schools Program Induction.
Cross-curricular Activity Sheets.
First Year Poster Competition.
Awards & Celebration.
LCC Green Code -Environmental Behaviour
LCC’s Code of Environmental Behaviour has been written into the college’s Code of Conduct.
Students must recycle their waste (paper, plastic, food, batteries, glass, WEEE) in the appropriate RECYCLING facilities provided by the college.
Further Plans 2010 – 2012
LCC Green Schools Program Launch Waste Flag
A date has been set for 21 March 2012 with Joe Costello TD Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for Trade and Development.
The launch will have a celebratory theme with awards to students from Larkin Community College, Central Model Senior School, Trinity College Dublin Environmental Society Volunteers and Green Schools Committee members.
Music & entertainment provided by current & past pupils of the college. Food & refreshment provided by the Home Economics Department & transition year students.
LCC Green Schools Program Energy Theme