Why engage in Ecological Footprinting

Schools that engage in Footprinting can expect a number of benefits, including:

• pupils engaging in real-life issues – relevance and involvement in meaningful decision making helps to enliven teaching and improve pupil motivation;
• community engagement – to become more locally  and globally aware requires the school to work with aspects of the community including, community councils, local authorities, voluntary organisations and businesses, enhancing the pupils’ understanding of local and global links and relationships;
• cost reduction – by targeting wasteful practices the money saved can be redirected to more beneficial aspects of the curriculum, including study trips or helping to sponsor less fortunate parts of the world  ;
• numerous opportunities to link to the curriculum, particularly English language, Mathematics, ICT, Expressive Arts, Environmental Studies and RME.
• strong linking with approaches that involve learning across subject boundaries including Citizenship, Sustainable Development Education and Health Promoting Schools.

Image credit: Steve Morgan / WWF Scotland

It is intended that schools will draw together an Action Plan, detailing proposed actions to reduce the global impact of their school’s footprint.

‘To reduce our impact on the planet everyone will have to join together and reduce, reuse and recycle'

P7 pupil, Cults Primary School, Aberdeen