The Environmental Campaign Committee, the Environmental Protection Department and the Education Bureau have jointly organised the Student Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme (SEPAS) for students of primary and secondary schools since 1995. The scheme aims to develop in students a sense of responsibility towards the environment, to nurture leadership among students and encourage them to take positive initiatives in improving the environment through the provision of a series of diversified environmental training activities.
Students who have satisfactorily completed the respective training would be awarded environmental badges and certificates. They are also encouraged to participate or assist in organising environmental activities at schools to help promote green messages among students.
The Environmental Campaign Committee organises Basic Environmental Badge (BEB) seminars for Student Environmental Protection Ambassadors (SEPAs). The seminars cover mainly four areas, namely (i) environmental policy and initiatives of the HKSAR Government; (ii) local and global environmental issues; (iii) interrelationship between human beings and the environment; and (iv) approaches for citizens to protect the environment. SEPAs may also participate in various types of field visits to enhance their knowledge acquired from the seminars.
Specific Environmental Badge Workshop cum field trips are also organised for SEPAs who have obtained BEBs. They aim to provide them with in-depth knowledge on specific environmental topics, such as waste management and biodiversity and to enable them to practise what they have learnt by taking positive initiatives in protecting the environment.
Field visits are optional activities for the SEPAs with an aim to enhance their knowledge acquired from the BEB seminars. The main types of field visits include-
- Love Your Geopark
SEPAs can understand the unique landforms and landscapes of Hong Kong Geopark, the importance of conserving Geopark and ways to conserve and promote it.
- Marine Conservation, Cleaner and Greener Shorelines
SEPAs can understand more about the status and causes of shorelines pollution, and how to take practical action to protect the shorelines and conserve ocean resources through activities such as collection of debris, compiling records, analysing data and group discussion.
- Eco Tour
SEPAs can appreciate the value of the nature and importance of nature conservation through joining various eco tours.
- Others
Through visits to different environmental facilities such as Ecopark and landfills, SEPAs can understand the concept of sustainability and enhance their awareness on environmental protection.
Apart from providing environmental training sessions to all primary and secondary students, the ECC continues to launch the Student Environmental Protection Leader (SEPL) Scheme in this school year. The SEPL Scheme is a programme for secondary SEPAs to interact and exchange ideas with tertiary SEPLs in the planning and implementation of environmental activities at schools; and to enrich environmental knowledge of SEPAs through experiential learning.
We have arranged training on environmental knowledge and leadership skills for tertiary SEPLs to enable them to collaborate with participating secondary schools in carrying out environmental education activities under the theme of “Green Community Actions (GCA)”. Details can be found in the website of ecobus Greengoer: https://ecobus.org.hk/greengoer/courses-2/
