Teacher wins Green Ribbon Award
Teacher wins Green Ribbon Award
Auckland kindergarten teacher Adam Buckingham has won one of New Zealand’s top environmental awards.
Environment Minister Hon. Amy Adams presented Adam Buckingham with a 2013 Green Ribbon Award at a function at Parliament this week (5 June 2013) on world environment day.
He won the Green Ribbon Award category of ‘Community and Education’.
“World Environment Day is an ideal occasion to show the human face of environmental issues, and promote the fantastic work that is happening in our communities,” Ms Adams says.
Adam Buckingham received the award for his innovative work using solid waste materials for educational purposes, transforming trash into learning experiences to benefit young children.
He presents professional development workshops in New Zealand and overseas, forging links with like-minded people on reusing solid waste materials - ideas on turning trash into treasure.
This is the focus of his book "Turning trash into treasure for young children", it encourages educators to think more imaginatively about the joys of learning and the value of discarded materials.
The innovative equipment he designs and makes for young children from solid waste, uses materials from the home environment and the wider world, to inspire and enrich young children’s learning through manipulating and exploring real world objects.
His work has diverted waste from landfill and linked people from the wider community to the early childhood environment, knowing that they are contributing their solid waste to be transformed into something useful.
“We need to encourage children to connect with the natural world and to nurture skills and attitudes at an early age that promote the development of environmentally responsible adults” Adam Buckingham said.
“Their young minds are so full of imagination and possibilities and with their help we can move forward on an improved path to environmental sustainability.”
For more
information, look at www.trash2treasure.co.nz
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/withyou/awards/green-ribbon-winners-2013.html
ENDS