Date: 19 March, 2013

$20,000 schools’ Environmental Curriculum Awards open

Schools are being urged to act quickly to try to win a share of this year’s $20,000 Northland Regional Council Environmental Curriculum Awards.

Council Environmental Education Officer Susan Botting says schools have until 4pm Tuesday 14 May to apply for funding via the awards, which aim to boost environmental education in the North.

Ms Botting says the council recently sent fliers to 150 Northland schools alerting them to the awards.

“Each school can apply for a maximum $2000 in Environmental Curriculum Awards’ funding, which must be spent on school-based environmental education projects.’’

“Although the 14 May deadline is some time away, we’re urging schools to get their applications in as soon as possible as this helps us avoid a last minute rush that can slow application processing times.”

Ms Botting says last year 18 Northland schools were funded for schoolground projects ranging from a mobile henhouse to creating a heritage garden.

She says applicants need to clearly highlight how their projects will contribute to the sustainable use of Northland’s environment – a key regional council goal.

Application forms can be downloaded from the council’s website: www.nrc.govt.nz/eca (The website also includes details of previous award winners and their projects.)

Completed applications can be sent to the council’s main office – Private Bag 9021, Whangarei Mail Centre, Whangarei 0148 – before 4pm Tuesday 14 May.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>