QF schools strive to cultivate a sustainable mindset among students

Qatar Foundation is keen to raise awareness of sustainability across its schools by instilling a sustainable mindset for its students starting from the young change-makers to help them grow up to be environmentally responsible citizens of tomorrow.In this context, Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation has launched a couple of initiatives to help students understand sustainability and change their habits in order to raise their responsibility towards their environment.Qatar Academy Doha (QAD) is one of the Middle East’s premier educational institutions of 1,860 students whose vision is empowering students to achieve high levels of academic growth and personal wellbeing, be responsible citizens who are locally rooted and globally connected and demonstrate their environmental consciousness. As a premier education institution, QAD leads through understanding sustainability responsibilities deeply for a better change while committing to active engagements that will have the most impact to lead a sustainable life.QAD has adopted many creative sustainability initiatives for its students, such as “Green Tower Garden initiative” which is an aeroponic garden system that allows students to grow their own products without the learning curve or time commitment of traditional gardening with less hassle and cleanup.

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It’s the same technology that Nasa uses. Tower Garden grows plants with only water and nutrients rather than dirt. Research has found that aeroponic systems grow plants three times faster and produce 30% greater yields on average."At school, we work together to protect the environment. It's what we do," says Jude, Grade 5 QAD student."We are rethinking how we teach our students; we model and share our challenges and choices that help foster a sustainable mindset," says Lori, Grade 4 teacher.

Elizabeth Kennedy: At QAD, we explicitly teach sustainability during the early years programme up till year 5 thus building knowledge and fostering the development of healthy, sustainable habits

Elizabeth Kennedy, Wellbeing Facilitator at QAD spoke about the academy’s sustainability strategy. She said: “Stemming from our strategy “SHIFTING MINDSETS for a SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE”, we are committed to empower change-makers, cultivate, and foster a sustainable mindset. At QAD, we explicitly teach sustainability during the early years programme up till year 5 thus building knowledge and fostering the development of healthy, sustainable habits."Our approach has been simple; we model, inquire, foster knowledge, and support our students to find their passion and lead by example. Through fostering students’ passion outside the classroom, it is our hope that through our dynamic approach to sustainability our students will find multiple pathways to develop their awareness and confidence to be the change-makers our world needs.

"We chose to allow every area of our school community, every age, every stakeholder and every grade level to work together to develop a culture and awareness around sustainability and make it their own. Our initiatives, students’ passions have been invested in, not only in their academic programmes but through adopting an innovative "outside of the box” thinking mindset to rethink their habits to be more sustainable. This has enabled students to think critically as problem-solvers and lead the way forward with their ideas. Each adventure is monitored and reviewed with the aim of making long-term changes and a difference to the environment and therefore people’s lives.”

Commenting on the “Green Tower Garden initiative”, she said: “One of the ways where we have successfully woven sustainability into both English and Arabic curriculum is through using aspects of the Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum. The Green Tower is a vertical garden which uses modern growing technology to support vertical gardening.

"Such initiative is part of the Virtual Sustainability Exchange collaboration fostered by Qatar Foundation International (QFI) where a group of students in QAD attend virtual exchanges with schools in the US, to understand more about healthy growing and eating practices. As we share the same space on our planet, and we all have to live together, it is important for the students to understand the universal connection through food, as well as use the exchanges to nurture empathy."She added: “Last year was our first year launching this curriculum with a group of Grade 5 student leaders. Our Arabic team were impressed with the Green Bronx Machine curriculum and wove this into our current sustainability teaching and learning practices. We are excited to continue working on extending this programme and provide unique hands-on experience for our students to flourish."Currently QAD has six Tower Gardens that we are ready to seed with our students shortly. The garden towers cultivate a sustainable mindset which empowers our students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers creating continuum of impactful sustainable change across our environment.” 

Speaking about the impact of such projects into students, Elizabeth said: “Learning outcomes have sparked more students’ interest and passion to learn and explore about gardening and sustainable growing as it is connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students are thrilled to start the next virtual exchange this year and connect with our fellow global citizens in New York to discuss and learn with and from each other. In line with our community to foster a 'learning community beyond classroomtarget="_blank"'>