Parap Primary School has today become the first school in the Northern Territory to be awarded with the prestigious Eco-Schools silver award, as part of their commitment to promote sustainability and integrate environmental education into the curriculum. 

Eco-Schools, which is led by Keep Australia Beautiful Council NT (KABCNT), is an environmental education framework and awards program promoting learning for a litter free and sustainable community.  

Chelsea Collins, Parap Primary School teacher, said she is proud of the students and finds it very rewarding to see students solving real world problems and achieving success.   

“The ‘Eco-Warriors’ are a group of passionate students from various year levels, who meet once a week to tackle environmental issues of every kind,” Ms Collins said.

“Once they define an issue, whether it be at a school or community level, they begin an inquiry framework and discover more facts about it. They start to dream of the many possibilities in which they can make a positive change. The next step is to design a solution and the whole school is involved in a commitment to action.”

KABCNT Chief Executive Officer Heimo Schober congratulated Parap Primary School for their hard work teaching and preparing the Territory’s future generations towards sustainability. 

“Parap Primary School have been working towards achieving the Silver Award since becoming the first Eco-School in the Territory in 2014,” Mr Schober said. 

“The Parap Eco-warriors have tackled a range of sustainability initiatives from litter control and waste management to energy and water conservation, biodiversity and healthy lifestyle. These are all designed to raise environmental and natural awareness, sustainably reduce waste, increase student engagement and save money for the school. 

“It’s promising to see so many students committed to creating a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable future which benefits not just the school, but the whole community.” 

 As part of the program, Parap’s Year 2 Eco-Warriors are currently researching the Australian wax worms’ ability to eat plastics. 

Thirty-two schools across the Northern Territory have joined eco-schools since its establishment in 2014. 

For more information about the eco-schools program, visit: www.eco-schools.org.au.  

Media contacts:
Department of Education, Jordan Raymond-Monro – 0401 119 215
Keep Australia Beautiful Council NT, Heimo Schober - 0407 186 461