Earlier this week, Enviroschools facilitators delivered six new signs to early childhood education centres around Tairāwhiti.

Tairāwhiti Enviroschools Regional Coordinator Charlotte Phelps said the signs were presented to the centres to reflect their commitment to the Enviroschools programme over the last year.

Up until the last 12 months, the Tairāwhiti Enviroschools programme had been based in primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

Ms Phelps said last year, for the first time in the 15 years the programme has been running, Tairāwhiti Enviroschools expanded to early childhood centres.

“Having early childhood centres get involved in the programme has been great. It’s a completely different style of learning and it’s awesome to see the progress happening at these centres.

“These centres are creating change – change for their students, their teachers and their community.”

Rewanui, Barnardos, The Farmyard, Knox Street Kindergarten, Montessori and Rakakao were all recipients of the new signs.

“It was really neat to deliver the signs and see the excitement on the kids’ faces.

“They took us around their centres and showed us their vege gardens, their native trees and their worm farms.

“The teachers were proud – proud to be involved and proud to have their mahi recognised.”

Enviroschools is an environmental based programme where students are encouraged to design and lead sustainability projects in their schools and communities.

Tairāwhiti Enviroschools is led by Council with support from the Williams Trust, Eastland Port and the Toimata Foundation, and currently has 31 schools and 7 early childhood centres involved in the programme.

To find out more about the joining the Tairāwhiti Enviroschools programme, please visit the Enviroschools website.

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