Global Criteria

Introduction

Each country will develop its own criteria, based on the broad criteria which has been developed in partnership with the implementing countries, observer countries and advisors. It is based on the Whole Schools approach championed by UNESCO, which has four areas of action: school governance, teaching and learning, facilities and operations, and community partnerships.

School Governance

Teaching and Learning

• Description of how students will learn about local and global sustainability issues and the linkages between them.
• Description of a process for bringing sustainability and sustainable lifestyles concepts into the formal curriculum across subjects.
• Description of capacity building for teachers on sustainability and sustainable lifestyles.
• Description of a practical element to learning about sustainability (e.g. gardening or other similar activities)

Facilities and Operations

• Describes infrastructure and/or policy changes are across multiple areas (energy, food, water, waste management, greenery etc.).
• Describes how all stakeholders will be involved in the design of the changes.
• Describes changes to the physical infrastructure of the school.

Community Partnerships

• Describes how the school will be involved in the local community.
• Describes a range of different activities (e.g. clean up events, helping green local cultural events, meeting with local businesses to discuss sustainability issues, approaching local media, linking with local NGOs etc.)
• Describes a role for the local community in the life of the school (e.g. sustainability tours of the school, guest lectures, sources of technical assistance etc.).