SDS certifies 39 public education institutions as Sustainable Schools in Yucatan

The goal is for educational communities to value and conserve the natural resources they possess

(MERIDA, YUC. – SDS).- The Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS) of Yucatan certified 39 educational institutes, from 28 municipalities of the State as ‘Sustainable Schools’, a program that promotes a culture for sustainability.

Sayda Rodríguez Gómez, head of the SDS, delivered in recent days the awards to the schools that worked throughout the year 2021 together with the agency in the implementation of good practices in environmental matters, managing their waste in an integral way, improving the conditions of life of their community and promoting actions of sanitation and production of organic food.

During the event, the symbolic planting of three Maculís Rosa trees ( Tabebuia rosea ) was carried out by the authorities who attended the event, as part of the Yucatan Planting Strategy, to date 1,318.5 hectares have been planted with trees .

This project is aimed at educational centers from basic, upper middle and higher levels, as a tool for the delivery of environmental education in our state.

This initiative was suspended for a moment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but they recently signed an agreement with the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Yucatán (Cobay) and it is expected that at the end of the administration all schools can be enrolled in this program. 

Among the objectives of the initiative, according to information from the secretary, are to train the entire educational community of the school – including teachers, students, administrators and parents – on issues of culture for sustainability and thus strengthen good practices in terms of environmental conservation of natural resources.

To this end, different activities are carried out within the schools such as talks, workshops and events on topics such as the correct separation of solid waste, promotion of the R’s strategy (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), reforestation, energy saving and efficiency, installation of school gardens, among others. 

 

“We have been entrusted to reach each one of the Yucatecans with a vision of sustainable development, but not only through environmental education, but also to transform it into a culture for sustainability, something that stays in each one of us and that is reflected in more citizen participation, better sustainability practices and solutions to the environmental problems that we have today,” said the official. 

“We learned that correctly separating our waste and valuing it greatly helps us not to contaminate our soil, air and water, while at the same time taking care of our own health and that of others. We learned that by reusing and recycling we contribute to creating a cleaner and healthier environment in our school and in our homes”, commented one of the beneficiary students of the program. 

This event was held within the framework of Environmental Education Day, commemorated on January 26, a celebration, as he explained, “that helps us remember and reinforce the importance of working together, creating awareness and commitment, so that responsible habits are promoted and they join with small and large actions that will contribute to making Yucatan a more and more sustainable state every day.

The Yucatan Times
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