Students to lead environmental projects
27 April 2014
Secondary school students from Rotorua and around the Bay of Plenty are gearing up to launch environmental projects in their schools and communities.
At this year's Bay of Plenty Regional Council Youth Jam held in Rotorua this month, more than 60 students from years 11 to 13 from schools around the region began planning environmental projects.
The annual three-day event supports the efforts by the regional council to engage young people in environmental awareness and action. The aim is to foster environmental awareness, youth leadership and civic participation.
The focus for the 2014 event, which was held at the Keswick Christian Camp at Holden's Bay, Rotorua, was Inspire Action - making things happen in your community.
During the Youth Jam students developed plans for projects to implement within their schools and wider communities, working through the basic steps of project planning to inspire action and reinforce what they are learning at school. They also attended workshops and presentations covering various aspects of project planning and implementation.
It is anticipated the students will now take their plans back to their schools to develop further if necessary and put into action.
Projects are likely to cover a variety of areas such as energy conservation, waste-reduction initiatives, community gardens, reducing pollution and riparian plantings.