“Be The Change”, a comprehensive educational program designed to empower schools and educators, has kicked off across the Arabian Gulf attracting 42 schools, with more expected to join in the coming months. The initiative is an evolution of the Waste Free Environment Campaign, an award-winning CSR initiative led by GPCA from 2013-2020. Drawing inspiration from this and the Clean4Change campaign by the Alliance to End Plastics Waste, “Be The Change” seeks to further the global mission of educating communities on the significance of waste management and the potential of a circular economy.
The campaign goes beyond educating pupils on the benefits of recycling. Instead, it focuses on instilling real understanding into plastic as a material and why it was invented utilizing an established science-based approach. By empowering students as well as educators with a wealth of science-backed information the campaign focuses on driving tangible impact to address waste, build knowledge, tackle the concept of circular economy and the importance of personal responsibility and behavior.
The campaign is made up of two introductory modules, which delve into the modern use of plastic, the different forms of waste, the concept of the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, as well as some of the latest technology solutions helping us to manage waste. After the first sessions are delivered, the campaign empowers teachers to steer their students toward making more sustainable choices in their daily lives.
GPCA acts as the catalyst of the campaign in partnership with its members, who support and sponsor the initiative. The campaign is also supported by SOCEO, a specialist in education, and the Alliance to End Plastics Waste, a global industry-founded partner.
At the end of the program, a special ceremony will be organized to present successful students with certificates of participation and award the schools that were most active in collecting points on the online platform.
The impact of the campaign will be monitored and measured by a quantitative assessment of the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) metric of participating student over time. Selectively qualitative information will also be collected to deepen the understanding of the change in KAP.
The program is scheduled to run until December 2024, with new initiatives and updates to be announced by GPCA at the start of the new year.
To learn more, please visit: www.wastefreeenvironment.com