Early Birds Istanbul has received the International ECO-School status!

Did you know that a kindergarten can receive International Eco School status? It's possible, and if you are already employing plenty of eco practices then it' a natural target to aim for.

It took two years and the Green Flag was ours. We are a certified Eco-Kindergarten School now!

What is this program about:

The Eco-School program is a multifaceted discipline requiring collaborative efforts in many areas, such as internal lesson plans, joint work between teachers and children, and student committees that carry out and supervise these activities. It also involves external parties, including parents, the headman's office, and the municipality. Planning, implementing, and reporting these activities visually and in writing, and submitting them regularly at the end of each period, was essential.

The process was gratifying for all of us. Meeting the requirements of this two-year project alongside our program became second nature. The topic we focused on was recycling. Frequent use of natural and recycled materials, which are already included in our curriculum, made our progress much easier. So nothing unusual for us at the EBI kindergarten! We included all of these aspects right from the start of kindergarten in 2019.

After completing the required two-term plans and four reports, an inspector visited our school to review our work on-site.

Beaming with pride and joy, the children explained all the details of our Recycling Project to the ECO-School inspector. No question remained unanswered, on the contrary, the inspector was impressed by the environment created by and with children in EBI.

Everyone was very proud when the Green Flag results were announced and we learned that we had qualified.

To receive this award, two EBI team members went to Ankara and received our Green flag.

Finally, we organised a special day to celebrate this good news together. On this day, everyone wore green, we served a green-themed menu, and waved our flag together, celebrating with songs and dances. This is another tradition in EBI: we always celebrate our success together!

A big thank you to the EBI children and staff.

We look forward to the adventures that await us!

By Cansu Dogru - Early Birds Istanbul Director