The Eco-Action Taskforce at Ysgol Clywedog in Wrexham recently joined forces with Colegio Enriquez Soler in Melilla to create a fantastic video, which highlights the problems created by plastic waste.
Colegio Enriquez Soler is a Spanish school, but it is actually located on the northern coast of Africa, sharing a border with Morocco.
Titled ‘Plastic Waste – An Intercontinental Problem’, the three-minute piece looks at how we’ve become a ‘disposable world’, and the students examine the many issues that stem from this. The video has been entered into the Young Reporter for the Environment (YRE) Competition 2020.
Nicholas Brown, Head of Geography at Ysgol Clywedog, said: “We entered the Young Reporter for the Environment competition with the intention to make a video looking at the plastic waste in our school. We were then offered the opportunity to team up with another school abroad and the pupils jumped at the chance.
“I was so impressed how they worked with the pupils in Melilla as though they were just another class in our school, despite the gap of 2,000 miles and with both speaking different languages.”
Eco-Action Taskforce
Ysgol Clywedog has its own ‘Eco-Action Taskforce’, created in September 2019, that was originally set up to rescue an old, boggy sports field and turn it into an area of outdoor learning and rich biodiversity. Since then, they’ve continued to get involved in more environmental projects.
Nicholas added: “I am so proud of the dedication and focus the Eco-Action Taskforce have. They have already won several awards and I’m sure there are more on the way! The pupils have learned so many skills from just this one project.
“We used Skype during the planning stages to have a live link up with the school, where our students got to ask their students questions and vice versa. During this, the pupils got to practice their language and communication skills. They were also able to learn more about the plastic waste problem and how it’s become a global issue.”
The Eco-Action Taskforce are already now looking towards their next big project, which will see them setting up a school allotment.
Nicholas told us: “The focus of the group now – and for summer – is to set up a school allotment, giving pupils access to outdoor learning, teamwork opportunities and a boost to their mental health.
“Then during the cold winter months we will be even more focused on looking at issues such as plastic in school. The school already separates its waste into recycling and non-recyclable waste and we have a collection point for used pens and crisp packets, but there is still a lot more we can do.”
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