The Jing'an Foreign Languages School was founded as an environmental school in Shanghai eight years ago. Four hours of environmental protection lessons a week have been on the curriculum from day one, the focus being on reducing paper consumption. Paper is the main issue, with the pupils learning how paper, wood, forests, the climate and environmental protection are interrelated. The teachers also receive "special coaching" on how to save paper.
International environmental prize goes to Shanghai school
Exemplary commitment to environmental issues
Environmental Award
The school has already received numerous awards for its environmental protection activities. It is now set to receive a very special prize from Germany: the Jing'an Foreign Language School in Shanghai will be awarded the "Environmental Award 2010" from the Allianz Environmental Foundation based in Munich, an environmental award designed to reward commitment to environmental issues that set a global example. The prize is to be awarded on September 7 at a celebratory event held on the grounds of the EXPO 2010.
School twinning program
At the same time, the Jing'an Foreign Language School and the local school of Niendorf in Hamburg, Germany, will be finalizing their school twinning program at the event. Both schools want to expand their cooperation and pupil and teacher exchange program in the future, particularly as far as environmental protection is concerned, allowing them to exchange knowledge on how to protect our environment. The heads of both schools will sign a corresponding agreement at the EXPO 2010. Eight pupils and two teachers from the Hamburg school will also be travelling to Shanghai for several days. On September 6, a visit to the Jing'an Foreign Language School is on the agenda, the aim being to implement a joint environmental project.
The teachers and pupils from Hamburg will be accompanied by representatives of the Allianz Environmental Foundation. After all, the Munich-based foundation is not only awarding the school in Shanghai with the "Environmental Award", it was the driving force behind the school twinning program and will continue to offer its support in the years to come.
Dieter Stolte, Head of the Board of Trustees of the Allianz Environmental Foundation, commented on the background to the international exchange: "With the school twinning program that we initiated, we want to make a contribution to a better understanding of other countries and cultures, as well as to global environmental protection." And the Foundation's CEO Lutz Spandau added: "Both schools are renowned for their exemplary commitment to environmental issues. The school twinning program will allow them to exchange their knowledge and learn from each other as a result."
Local school of Niendorf
Like the Jing'an Foreign Language School, the local school of Niendorf also has many years of commitment to environmental issues behind it, the focal points being on waste separation, saving energy and water. The school has been awarded the title of a "European environmental school" on several occasions since 1995. In 2010, the school was successful in the competition for the German Climate Prize awarded by the Allianz Environmental Foundation, winning 2000 euros in prize money for its "Building a solar catamaran" project.
The Allianz Environmental Foundation
The Allianz Environmental Foundation was founded in 1990 to mark the 100th anniversary of what is today Allianz SE. With total foundation assets worth 50 million euros, it ranks among Europe's largest private foundations, allowing it to make a contribution to long-term environmentally-friendly and thus sustainable development thanks to its broad range of promotional programs. The renaturation of bodies of water, the renovation and redesign of green space and the protection of endangered species are part of a diverse spectrum of projects that also includes the establishment of environmental information centers, nature trails and touring exhibitions.
The Allianz Environmental Foundation has made more than 60 million euros available to suitable projects since 1990 and has supported more than 60 large and more than 4,000 small-scale initiatives. Ever since 2008, the foundation has also been awarding the Allianz Environmental Foundation's annual German Climate Prize. The prize is worth 50,000 euros and is designed to recognize an active commitment to protecting the climate among pupils and schools. 2010 will be the first time the Environmental Award of the Allianz Environmental Foundation is awarded. The non-cash prize is designed to reward commitment to environmental issues that set a global example.
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