Green Eco Schools
To promote education for sustainable development (ESD) in rural China through the establishment of Green Eco Schools.
Since the early 1990’s Zigen has been supporting programs in the education domain in rural China, particularly in providing financial aids to girls who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to receive formal education.
For the past 30 years, Zigen has diligently sustained these programs without interruption, and has enabled cohorts of girls not only to complete their formal education but to become the first generation teachers, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs in their villages.
Over the years, Zigen has also expanded the scope of its programs beyond formal education to include environmental awareness, primary healthcare and cultural preservation.
Building upon this foundation and acquired experiences, the transition to the promotion of Education for Sustainable Development in rural China was rather straightforward. Such framework and knowledge transfer is much needed and urgent for the sustainability of the rapid growth in the country, as well as for the future of our planet.
For a country like China with its large population and its rapid economic development, making a positive impact among the younger generations regarding sustainable development, consumption and production will be of great significance, not only to China but also to the entire world.
This is especially true in the rural areas where resources are limited and long term developments are often ignored in favor of short term benefits. Education is critical to the success of sustainable development as it builds awareness and knowledge as well as skills and tools needed for such progress.
Our projects promote education for sustainable development (ESD) in rural China through the establishment of Green Eco Schools. This is achieved by implementing a train the trainers model, targeting local primary and secondary teachers.
Schools that have received this knowledge and are under development, and implementation of our guidelines are named Green-Eco Schools which will also serve as model schools for others in the possible expansion of the ESD program throughout the country.
One School, One Village
An integrated community development program that will ensure the sustainability of rural villages in China.
The program supports basic needs of the whole village, with the school as the launch pad, while encouraging school-village interactions
Actively involves particular groups, such as women, children, elderly, and migrant families, and promote lifetime education in health and environment.
