By signing the ECO document, UP PEF became first UP ECO faculty  

By signing the ECO document, UP PEF became first UP ECO faculty  

The signing of the ECO Certificate, which is the last of the seven steps towards the title of ECO School, took place today in the atrium of the UP Faculty of Education and illustrates the commitment of all those studying or working at the UP PEF to comply with the ECO guidelines. It is the only public and international recognition of Slovenian schools for their environmental commitment.

ECO School is an internationally recognized programme of integrated environmental education designed to promote awareness of sustainable development among children, students and schoolchildren. It is delivered through their education and training programme and through active participation in the local community and beyond.

Each year, the best-performing schools are awarded international prizes - Green Flags. UP PEF Faculty is proud to have been awarded a Green Flag this August.

The ECO Act is written by each participating institution and signed by its representatives - both staff and students - and by representatives of the ECO School programme. At UP PEF, it was signed by:

• Mag. Gregor Cerar, National Coordinator of EKOschool,
• Prof. Dr. Mara Cotič, Dean of the Faculty of Education
• Assoc. prof. dr. Nataša Dolenc Orbanić,
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nastja Cotič and
• Maja Humski, President of the UP PEF Student Council.

Timotej Pirjevec, Head of the Office for Social Activities, and prof. dr. Klavdija Kutnar, Rector of the University of Primorska, also confirmed with their presence that the University and the environment have a great interest in promoting this type of activities. The event was enlivened with musical interludes by a trio of singers led by doc. Vladimir Batista.

What have students and staff committed to?

By signing the ECO Act, the UP Faculty of Education and all its staff and students have committed to:

• Promote and develop a respectful relationship with nature,
• Promote and develop environmental awareness,
• Promote and develop good interpersonal relations and a healthy life cycle,
• Strive to reduce the use of paper, energy and water,
• Encourage more consistent waste separation and reuse of waste materials, promote the transfer of ECO values to our home environments and beyond, and to set an example for other stakeholders in the local community through our ECO behaviour.