'𝗆ɛ𝗍əˈ𝗇ɔɪə (𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗇)
Metanoia: ‘A transformation of heart and mind leading to a change in behaviour’
This describes what happens when students are effectively engaged in the rich sustainability learning opportunities their campuses offer.
Our work provides students with authentic opportunities to develop skills and competencies that will equip them to lead society's transition to a sustainable future.
The 5 C’s of a Sustainable School
-
Many schools aspire to the ideal of a sustainable campus but live with the reality of older buildings that weren't designed to the highest environmental standards. But there are multiple ways to improve the environmental performance of a campus, from energy efficient appliances to redesign retrofits, low-impact cleaning materials and green landscaping - and they're all a source of learning opportunities to supplement what's taught in the classroom.
-
To develop eco-literate students with the capacity to create and lead a sustainable society, we must do more than teach about sustainability, we must equip them with the skills and competencies to tackle real-world environmental challenges. A comprehensive experiential eco-literacy curriculum is embedded in the campus and everything the school does, from the way the buildings are designed, to the type of food served in the canteen and how decisions are made. There's material here for every subject and every grade level.
-
Sustainability is a community practice - it depends on a network of relationships inside and outside the school, relationships which require effective collaboration and cooperative decision-making to maintain.
These skills are among those the students will need to tackle our many environmental challenges. The road to becoming a sustainable school, therefore, offers many opportunities for staff and students to model and learn these skills.
-
Sustainable schools have a culture of sustainability. They do more than teach sustainability and model it in certain ways, their commitment to it is reflected in their mission and values, they integrate it into their governance and operations, including: long-term strategy, policy, decision-making, target-setting, partnerships with suppliers and daily practices, and they continuously engage a wide range of students, parents, staff and members of the external community in sustainabliity initiatives.
-
Sustainable schools understand the fundamental role of communication in supporting the other 4Cs and embedding sustainability in the ethos culture and everyday practises of the school community. Sustainable schools develop communication strategies, dialogues and narratives that facilitate and enrich their sustainability journey.
Stakeholder Engagement
Students
We develop students' eco-literacy and leadership skills through authentic project-based learning opportunities that utilise the campus as a living laboratory.
Suppliers
We engage with suppliers to improve the sustainability of their product and service offerings to help reduce schools' carbon footprint.
Teachers
We support teachers in using the campus as a teaching tool.
Parents
The support of the parent community is key to schools’ sustainability transformation.
Leadership Teams
Leadership teams build the school’s capacity to become a sustainable communities with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.
Building Committees and Facilities Managers
We advise building committees and facilities managers on how to make their school campuses more sustainable, on feasible pathways to becoming carbon neutral, and on novel ways to fund the necessary improvements.
We engage, empower, and educate students and school communities to review, understand, and transform their environmental footprint
Review
Through rigorous student-centred investigations we review the school's sustainability in every aspect, from energy and travel to curriculum and governance. Our whole school approach examines every aspect of a school's operations.
Communicate
We provide technical expertise to support schools to implement the findings of our review and track their progress towards realising their vision. Are you ready to commit to becoming a carbon neutral school?
Partner
We cultivate a wider conversation about sustainability across the school community, engaging stakeholders through narrative, data, art and dialogue - as well as conventional communications.
Envision
We help students and their schools envision a sustainable future by facilitating the development of a long-term sustainability strategy to reduce the school's environmental footprint.
Implement
Our sustainability consultants provide expertise, build capacity, and support a school's long-term transition to becoming a more sustainable school community.
“At a time when our world continues to grapple with ‘global grand challenges’ such as global warming and climate change, it is critical schools incorporate sustainability teaching and learning more deeply into the curriculum and daily school life. Our partnership with Metanoia demonstrates Dubai College’s commitment towards embedding sustainability more deeply into our campus operations and curriculum.”
Aarush, Year 11 Student Environmental Leader, Dubai College
“I feel a lot of respect for Metanoia for the dedication they have put into creating this audit and involving students – it’s so diligent. The audit has helped me understand the day-to-day operations and the big scale operations of school life. I mean, the campus is where I live for like most of my school experience so I’m really more knowledgeable about well, everything – and it really puts sustainability into perspective which is easier to understand.”
Aviva, Environmental Student Leader, Chinese International School
Metanoia's Audit Recognised as an Exemplary Practice
"Metanoia’s expertise is broad and includes energy efficiency (of lighting, air-conditioning, buildings), building-integrated solar energy design and installation, food and food waste, sustainable school uniforms, sustainability communication, biodiesel-from-waste, carbon auditing, offsetting, Education for Sustainability (EfS), and governance for sustainability."