St James Primary School in Kalk Bay received two awards at the Sustainable Schools awards ceremony held on Sunday February 11. From left are Nature Connect's Sustainable Schools school coordinator for St James Primary School Lanah Murray, St James Primary School eco-coordinator Dugan Jenkins and the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation's Bianca Engel.
St James Primary School in Kalk Bay has received two awards for its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Nature Connect, formerly the Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET), runs the Sustainable Schools programme to teach pupils about environmental responsibility and to encourage a strong connection with nature. St James Primary School has been a part of the programme since 2017.
The awards ceremony, which was held at the V&A Waterfront on Sunday February 11, recognised the environmental efforts of 23 schools.
“St James Primary School stood out by winning two sustainability stars for their exceptional work in 2023. Additionally, they secured first prize in our marine and coast focus area, highlighting their dedication to environmental stewardship in this area,” said Nature Connect’s programme operations coordinator Melissa Zackon.
The school makes eco bricks to prevent chip packets and other plastics from reaching the ocean, and it collects paper to donate to the Ocean View Handicapped Centre to generate income.
Dugan Jenkins, the school’s eco-coordinator, said: “Receiving these awards really means a lot to our learners as well as the staff. We have come to realise that together we are able to make a difference to the environment, however small it may be. It serves as great motivation to us to have our efforts acknowledged by a credible organisation such as Sustainable Schools.”