Frugi extends funding for Eco-Schools teacher training program

Cornish sustainable children’s clothing company Frugi, has extended its support for Eco-Schools for another year by financing its online Eco-Coordinator Training Program, which provides free training for teachers and school or nursery employees in England.

Eco-Schools, run by Keep Britain Tidy, provided training to over 500 applicants financed by Frugi the previous year, many of whom went on to achieve their Green Flag Award.

Although registration is free, a cost of £200 (+VAT) is charged to pay the online assessment price for a school’s Green Flag application during the yearly application window of May to July. The Eco-Schools project allows students in 71 countries to choose three of 10 Eco-School subjects to concentrate on and improve.

Frugi has donated funding for 750 teachers and school staff throughout England, from nurseries to colleges, to attend three immersion workshops as part of its ongoing partnership with Eco-Schools.

The one-hour seminars, which are open to the whole Eco-Schools network on a first-come, first-served basis, allow them to learn more about the Eco-Schools program and to offer it in an educational context with kids.

Frugi will cover the fees for 150 English schools to receive the coveted Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation in 2020. The schools complete a Seven Step program that outlines a meaningful route toward improving the environment in both the school and the surrounding community while also having a long-term beneficial influence on the lives of young people and their families.

Adam Flint, the Education Manager at Keep Britain Tidy and National Manager for Eco-Schools said, said that young people are more aware of the realities of climate change than any preceding generation. They are enthusiastic and determined to approach it in a constructive and positive manner.

Flint added that simultaneously, the DfE’s new Schools and Sustainability policy encourages schools to address these issues in the classroom. Eco-Schools assists instructors in meeting these objectives by providing a complete program that exposes students to ecology through relevant, meaningful, and engaging content.

Sarah Clark, Frugi’s CEO, said that Eco-Schools and their new Teacher Training Program will not only enrich the lives of many more children but will also assist raise future environmental change-makers.