Tumbler Time
ADAMS NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Ilocos Norte
The lesson is “Bring Your Own Tumbler” to school. It’s part of the Green Schools Project package of the Educator Empowerment Program (EEP), now being implemented in various public schools in the Philippine province of Ilocos Norte.
In line with this EEP lesson, teachers organized a Bring Your Own Tumbler campaign in Adams National High School, located in the town of Adams, Ilocos Norte.
Teacher Christian Fernandez, the assigned teacher coordinator, reported that students were informed about the campaign during the school’s flag retreat on Friday, September 21 (2018), and that the campaign commenced the next school day, Monday, September 24, with almost all students bringing their own tumblers—with different sizes and colors—to school. This campaign highlights the need to teach students the importance of reducing our dependence on disposables, particularly disposable plastic cups.
To ensure the success of the campaign, teachers were asked to constantly monitor whether or not their students bring their tumblers to school. They also created posters to remind students to bring their tumblers on a regular basis.
A month after, Teacher Christian reported: “Students continue to bring their tumblers to school. As a result, the use of plastic cups in the school was reduced significantly. Moreover, with far fewer distractions from those who used to always go out of the classroom to get water to drink.”
He noted that classes in their school now run more smoothly. And just as important, he also pointed out that this particular lesson taught their students to be responsible for their own well-being and to care about the environment.
“Bring Your Own Tumbler” is just one of the many environment lessons that the EEP’s Green Schools Project provides its beneficiary schools throughout the entire school year.
“Through these lessons, schools are expected to make substantial gains in advancing environment education and in empowering teachers and students to become true champions of the environment,” explains Alchemy Managing Director Carlos Valarao, the principal architect of the EEP. “And it’s heartwarming to see our environment lessons in action, and that we’re all contributing to the cause of the environment, thanks to the good work of the empowered teachers of Adams National High School.”
As a beneficiary school of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), Adams National High School is a proud partner of the EEP Green Schools Project.