In 2001 the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia passed a law that made environmental education compulsory in every level of the education system. Five years later, the Vayots Dzor Marz branch of the environmental NGO - Greens Union of Armenia - discovered that adherence to the environmental education law was virtually non-existent in preschools and kindergartens of the marz due to a complete lack of educational materials and methodologies. Children in their most formative years were not being taught about the importance of and means of protecting the environment.

The Vayots Dzor Marz branch of the Greens Union, a grantee of intermediary service organization (ISO) Goris Teachers Union (GUM) - a partner ISO in the framework of Counterpart’s Civil Advocacy Support Program - organized an advocacy campaign to convince and prepare local governments, principals, and teachers to provide environmental education in their preschools and kindergartens. Greens Union began its initiative in May 2006 by researching and assessing the existing state of environmental education in Vayots Dzor Marz. After visiting 17 schools, the NGO staff had ascertained that a mere 17% of schools had available resources for environmental education, all of which were in Russian and, thus, unused; 82% of the schools had playgrounds which were not being used for educational purposes; and no outdoor activities or field trips incorporated environmental lessons. When asked what could be done to solve the problem, 70% of teachers responded that a methodological guide was necessary and another 20% said that trainings for less experienced teachers would be beneficial.

Next, in order to raise awareness and urge educators to begin implementing the law on environmental education in their schools, Greens Union staff created and disseminated informational booklets and organized three round-table discussions. The booklets contained the NGO’s research findings and explained the responsibilities of educators. The round-table discussions were attended by community members, teachers, school principals, and representatives from the avaganis (community councils), all of whom agreed that the issue deserved attention and a prompt resolution.

With all the necessary community members on board, Greens Union moved forward by facilitating the creation of a teacher’s guide on environmental education. A committee was formed, comprising biologists, education specialists, kindergarten teachers, and psychologist. With funding from GUM ISO, the committee authored and published a 60-page booklet entitled Teacher’s Guide on Environmental Education for Preschoolers and Kindergartners. The guide offers theoretical and practical methods for teaching children how to protect the environment and includes suggested curriculums containing relevant topics, exercises, and outdoor activities. The guide was presented to the marz governmental authorities, who approved it as an official teacher’s guide to be used throughout all of Vayots Dzor Marz.

Having successfully garnered the support and approval of the marz authorities, Greens Union, with the help of GUM ISO, urged the Ministry of Education to promote the guide to be used throughout all of Armenia. The minister accepted the proposition and on November 28, 2006, the director of the National Institute of Education approved the contents of the guide and its use in preschools and kindergartens throughout all of Armenia.

PHOTO: Nationally approved Teacher’s Guide on Environmental Education created by Greens Union

 

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