The Schools Environment Programme (SEP) is Jamaica's largest environmental education programme, now in its 13th year. Implemented by JET and other civil society groups with the support of the Ministry of Education and private sector donors, SEP has been delivered in over 350 Jamaican schools, reaching some 300,000 students and 600 teachers. Participating schools carry out activities in four main areas: Managing garbage; greening of school grounds; strengthening or establishing an environmental club and environmental research. SEP also delivers professional development workshops for teachers twice every year. Achievements in schools are celebrated at an annual awards ceremony every year.

The general format of SEP's methodology includes:

• Providing Teachers’ Manuals to participating schools
• Bringing other environmental non-government organizations (NGOs) into partnership to assist with school supervision
• Assigning JET field staff to supervise NGOs and/or schools
• Organizing a series of teacher workshops on an environmental theme in October and February (often including a field trip)
• Judging schools in a regional and national process
• Celebrating achievements at a formal awards ceremony in June
• Evaluating the Programme both during and at the end of each school year

Each school receives two copies of the Teachers’ Manual. The Manual gives clear, “how-to” advice to new teachers on ways to implement SEP. In addition, the Manual links activities to the regular school curriculum, so that SEP is not seen as “extra work.”

Teachers refer to their SEP manual during a teacher training workshop field trip

An important aspect of SEP is the training provided to teachers in workshop settings. Two rounds of workshops are held each year, in October/November and February/March. The workshops are held around the island, roughly corresponding to Jamaica's fourteen parishes. The workshops typically introduce new teachers to SEP, explore an environmental issue and demonstrate hands-on activities teachers can do in their classrooms. When appropriate, teacher workshops include field trips.

Teachers participate in a bird watch during a training workshop on birds

Communities all over Jamaica are involved with the implementation of SEP through various school activities, such as fund-raising, open days, tree-planting, clean-ups and field trips. Schools have strengthened their relationship with parents and community members and PTAs have undertaken SEP activities. Community environmental problems have been identified and solutions discussed. Community involvement has also taken place through the use of local resource persons such as farmers, fishermen or carpenters who pass on their skills to students.

Community group planting a tree