The Africa Foundation and &Beyond Environmental Education Programme is known as ‘Echo’ for the resonance it has across people’s lives. The Echo programme is linked to our Future Leaders key outcome which has a focus on unlocking talent and potential and developing environmental awareness and understanding. Environmental Education is key to engaging communities in the issues and debates around their everyday choices and the impact that they have for the environment and conservation. Most often we find that the communities living closest to some of the world’s most renowned conservation areas, know the least about them and their value. Echo aims to change that by exposing community members, young and old, to the conservation land and seascapes that they are in fact, the custodians of, and working with communities to ensure that they feel the benefit of protecting the environment around them.
In our partner communities in South Africa, the Echo programme has become embedded into the school curriculum for Grade R to Grade 9 scholars (through primary and into early secondary school) across 99 schools. Our Echo school facilitators support the delivery of environmental education lessons and practical workshops in schools as well as the development of climate friendly school vegetable gardens. School facilitation is through Echo Stewards in South Africa and Community & Conservation Rangers in East Africa. Anchoring this process, we are continuously developing tailor made curriculum aligned Echo education manuals providing resources for pre-primary to early secondary school scholars which reflect the local community context.
The Echo programme has a core focus around United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education. SDG 4 has a key focus on taking urgent action to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Introducing smart projectors into 99 rural schools in South Africa has been an exciting part of the programme, which has enabled learners to digest knowledge and skills more effectively and efficiently. Delivering Echo lessons through smart projectors has enabled us to design and share educational content for international environmental days much more quickly. Teachers and Curriculum Implementors have found that teaching complex subjects such as Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics is much more convenient to teach using a projector.
The school based education is enhanced by experiential field trips into the local conservation areas. These trips are enabled through Africa Foundation’s partnership with andBeyond, the Sabi Sand Wildtuin and Pfunanani Trust, and Southern African Wildlife Trust. The trips are led by qualified guides, who provide students with a memorable and deep-learning experience, with touchpoints to their classroom activities. Below are the impact insights for the 2023 financial year.
Echo Conservation lessons and activities facilitated
Scholars who went on game drives
Participating countries
Kids who participated in Echo lessons and activities
Echo facilitators and stewards employed
Reduce human-wildlife conflict and poaching using engagement to impart the value of wildlife
Improve the knowledge and career prospects of young people living close to conservation areas
Give access to environmental education to school children in rural communities
Instil respect and understanding in children on the natural resources around them
Promote sound enviro planning and resource use & facilitate economic upliftment in rural areas
Facilitate recognition of the need for a holistic, meaningful, sustainable conservation programme
Contribute to changing people’s lives
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