^{: A full list of award ceremonies is given below. programme worldwide and 5,000 have been awarded the Green-Flag. In Ireland, Green-Schools is operated by An Taisce in partnership Local Government, the Dublin Transportation Office and sponsored by Greenstar, Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, the Wrigley Company Ltd. The Green-Schools programme is based on a seven-step environmental management system and continual improvement process which is very much student led and also involves the wider community. The programme also promotes good citizenship among participants. Green-Schools is a themed programme with schools initially working on the theme of Litter & Waste and then moving onto themes such as Energy, Water, and School Travel. Schools that successfully implement the programme are awarded the green-Flag. The award has to be renewed every two years.}

The Green-Schools Office of An Taisce will award a further 115 International Green-Flags to Irish primary, secondary and special schools for their environmental management and education practices over the next two weeks at a number of award ceremonies in Galway and Dublin. This will bring the total number of Green-Flags flying in Ireland to just over 1,000. This represents around a quarter of all schools in Ireland and one sixth of all Green-Flags awarded internationally throughout the 37 countries participating.

For More information please contact:

Cathy Joyce, Green-Schools Manager, Environmental Education Unit, An Taisce

Telephone - 01 – 4002222, Email – greenschools@antaisce.org

www.greenschoolsireland.org

Note to editors

: A full list of award ceremonies is given below.

Green-Schools, (internationally known as Eco-Schools), is an international environmental education programme, environmental management system and award scheme that promotes and acknowledges long-term, whole-school action for the environment. Green-Schools is an initiative of FEE (The Foundation for Environmental Education). Green-Schools began as a pilot project in the UK, Denmark, Germany, France and Portugal in 1994. Currently, thirty-seven countries from Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and Oceania are participating in the Eco-Schools programme. There are now 17,000 schools participating in the

programme worldwide and 5,000 have been awarded the Green-Flag. In Ireland, Green-Schools is operated by An Taisce in partnership Local Government, the Dublin Transportation Office and sponsored by Greenstar, Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, the Wrigley Company Ltd. The Green-Schools programme is based on a seven-step environmental management system and continual improvement process which is very much student led and also involves the wider community. The programme also promotes good citizenship among participants. Green-Schools is a themed programme with schools initially working on the theme of Litter & Waste and then moving onto themes such as Energy, Water, and School Travel. Schools that successfully implement the programme are awarded the green-Flag. The award has to be renewed every two years.