The GreenTeam of BuSO De Wissel in Genk

For 30 years, teacher Jan Konings has been actively involved in the nature, environment and climate policy of the Provincial School for Special Secondary Education De Wissel in Genk. This school welcomes boys and girls with specific educational needs.

The teachers and pupils carry out various actions every year: they participate in Warm Jumper Day and World Water Day, collect batteries and promote biodiversity at school. They make nest boxes from recycled materials, build bee hotels, you name it. These activities are always considered in terms of feasibility for their own pupils.

But Jan noticed that these themes are quite difficult to sell. He also felt that the pupils were very reluctant to take part and that it was important to make participation easy and fun.

The GreenTeam

Spurred on by Jan, a unique group was set up, centred on student participation: the GreenTeam. The GreenTeam consists of about 20 pupils of different ages and from different classes, accompanied by several teachers. With this group, they hold a meeting once a month. Together, the pupils come up with ideas how their school can help the environment and nature and how to tackle climate change. These ideas are then presented to the school management so that they can take action.

The students are released from their classes at the time of the meeting, but there is never an obligation to come to the meeting. To leave their class, they only have to give a note to their teacher, which also lowers the threshold for the students.

An inspiring success story

The meeting with the GreenTeam should always be a fun, relaxing moment. Sometimes the kitchen provides soup or someone brings cake. During the meeting, they always listen to each other and the pupils themselves come up with ideas. Everyone is welcome and every idea is heard, even if some pupils have to be tempered with their enthusiasm from time to time. The desire to contribute to a better world is exceptionally great.

Many pupils spontaneously ask if they can join the GreenTeam. Often these are more quiet pupils who find their voice heard in the GreenTeam, pupils who are often underestimated, but who are also able to think along and ask philosophical questions.

According to Jan, this is one of the reasons why the GreenTeam works so well. 'The pupils get the feeling that they are safe there, that they have found a place where they are heard. And that it is not just about ideas, but that something is actually done with them.'

External members are also regularly present at the meetings: teachers, people from the secretariat, a technical advisor, etc. At the same time, a clear evolution in the involvement of the teachers is noticeable. This is mainly due to the enthusiastic pupils of the GreenTeam who know how to win them over.

The icing on the cake

The GreenTeam is such a success that it deserved to be recognised at the school. A long time ago, a pupil of the GreenTeam made a drawing that was converted into a logo for the GreenTeam. And that is just one of the many examples of the active pupil participation of the GreenTeam in De Wissel. There will also be a new building on the school grounds and the pupils of the GreenTeam are invited to think about its greening and sustainability.

Jan has some tips for you:

Keep believing in it yourself
Work in an accessible way
Listen to every pupil
Give the pupils a positive stimulus
Never underestimate your pupils: they can do much more than you would ever think!

A report by Something Blue (2021)