Sustainable Schools

Head of School at the
Westminster School, Dubai

With her primary passion as teaching and starting her career as an educator, Ms Sathyan has been associated with GEMS for the past 27 years and she continues to teach IGCSE Chemistry at TWS. Her educational qualifications include a degree of Master of Science in Chemistry, a Bachelor of Education (Physical Science) degree from universities in India. She also holds a degree of Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Management from the Manchester Metropolitan University (UK).

Besides pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership and Management, Vijaya Kumari is also a Coaching Clinic Licensed Facilitator, Corporate Coach. Her passion is to make her school sustainable and to ensure all her students are not only a part of the solution but will also lead in the making of their own sustainable future. To achieve this she uses the platform of eduCCate Global, UK, which is a not-for-profit organisation.

Speaks About

• How her school worked throughout the  COVID-19 lockdown to produce five Sustainability and Climate Change Leadership Teams
• From Fear to Sustainable Safety: The current trialling of two Blended Learning Online programmes to increase global awareness and protect children’s futures from disease and disaster.

ECO Club
The Westminster School, UAE
 eduCCate Global Eco-Leaders Secondary

Celia Maneia, Aaminah Patel and Aliza Muzaffer came from different subject backgrounds in Year 10 that exposed us to the grave environmental issues around the globe. Later they found that they shared a common interest in regards to taking an action against climate change as a whole. Hence, in Year 11 they formed a team under the guidance of Ms.Vijiaya Kumari Sathyan and Ms.Nilambari Gokhale, who appointed them as the Green Ambassadors of the Westminster School, Dubai.

For their initiative, they agreed that schools are the most optimal places to tackle environmental issues, and promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle. Their vision is to tackle three main agendas which are to promote a sustainable fashion system, reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic and paper. They  believed that the textile industry is one of the top contributors to global warming and land waste, along with plastics taking the lead on all three fronts of air, water and land pollution. While conserving paper is key, as trees are a necessity to maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem. We also intend to take our vision nationwide to other schools.

Overall, they aim to pursue a more sustainable and self-sufficient path throughout all school procedures and processes by reducing textile waste through the implementation of cloth bags instead of plastic bags, and ensuring plastic free grounds to the extent of the school’s capabilities. As well as, reducing more than 80% of paper used by schools, and guarantee the firm establishment of basic practices for saving paper in our routine lives. They expect staff, students and parents to understand the financial and environmental benefits that arise from the application of their sustainable vision, and to be more active in promoting eco-friendly practices.

Speaks About

• Promoting and building eco-consciousness about paper, plastics and textile throughout all stakeholders.
• Pursuing a more sustainable and self-sufficient path throughout all school procedures and processes.
• Ensuring staff and students, within school and outside, be educated on climate change causes and impacts.

Greentech Energy Consultant

Following a 40 year career in energy production operations worldwide I followed an immersion program in transition and transformative energy engineering solutions. Starting with MIT Boston's Entrepreneurs Growth Program in 2011 this stimulated a comprehensive learning program of MOOC university courses promoting critical analysis of present global energy issues and practical field studies undertaken in Africa and the Far East.

Speaks About

• Like Albert Einstein, children instinctively know they cannot solve todays problems with the same thinking that was​ used when their forefathers made them. Meeting the inventors and solutions of tomorrow requires they discover new ideas and innovation for themselves so they can create their future.
• So where do they look for solutions? BrandNewDay2020 educates genius in harmony with a Greentech 21st century of thoughtful meditation and actions which gives life to its joy.
• BrandNewDay educating genius.

Business Manager for a Multi-Academy Trust and passionate about saving her schools lots of money by being more environmentally aware/savvy.  Margaret talks about the most basic measures that every school can adopt to save thousands of Pounds each year!  Her dedication to delivering sustainability in all the schools in her MAT is not only interesting but exciting to take on board.  She shares how she did it, what she wants to achieve and why, the ease with which every school can deliver similar strategies and the powerful results of sustainable practices.  Money talks and when schools can save tons of money by simply switching off lights, we all need to listen.  Lots of tips and great ideas that really do work in this talk.  Margaret is a trailblazer and we see her delivering Sustainability & Cost Saving Training to ALL School Business Managers in the very near future!

Speaks About

• Building Trust and developing relationships
• Understanding and guiding the Trust to reduce its carbon footprint
• Inspiring and supporting practical action in all our schools
• Seeking out and building environmental relationships and partnerships outside of their
  Trust to create new opportunities for all their students

Greentech Energy Consultant

Following a 40 year career in energy production operations worldwide I followed an immersion program in transition and transformative energy engineering solutions. Starting with MIT Boston's Entrepreneurs Growth Program in 2011 this stimulated a comprehensive learning program of MOOC university courses promoting critical analysis of present global energy issues and practical field studies undertaken in Africa and the Far East.

Speaks About

• Like Albert Einstein, children instinctively know they cannot solve todays problems with the same thinking that was​ used when their forefathers made them. Meeting the inventors and solutions of tomorrow requires they discover new ideas and innovation for themselves so they can create their future.
• So where do they look for solutions? BrandNewDay2020 educates genius in harmony with a Greentech 21st century of thoughtful meditation and actions which gives life to its joy.
• BrandNewDay educating genius.

Business Manager for a Multi-Academy Trust and passionate about saving her schools lots of money by being more environmentally aware/savvy.  Margaret talks about the most basic measures that every school can adopt to save thousands of Pounds each year!  Her dedication to delivering sustainability in all the schools in her MAT is not only interesting but exciting to take on board.  She shares how she did it, what she wants to achieve and why, the ease with which every school can deliver similar strategies and the powerful results of sustainable practices.  Money talks and when schools can save tons of money by simply switching off lights, we all need to listen.  Lots of tips and great ideas that really do work in this talk.  Margaret is a trailblazer and we see her delivering Sustainability & Cost Saving Training to ALL School Business Managers in the very near future!

Speaks About

• Building Trust and developing relationships
• Understanding and guiding the Trust to reduce its carbon footprint
• Inspiring and supporting practical action in all our schools
• Seeking out and building environmental relationships and partnerships outside of their
  Trust to create new opportunities for all their students

Melati Wijsen is a 19-year-old full time changemaker from Indonesia. She founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags when she was 12 years old with her younger sister and has been leading the movement driven by youth since 2013. She also started the people movement One Island One Voice and the social enterprise, Mountain Mamas.

 Melati has spoken on world stages such as TED and the UN and has also been selected as FORBES top ten most inspiring women in the country. She graduated from high school one year early at the Green School and has since been honored by TIME as part of the most influential teens in the world along with CNN Heroes Young Wonders and FORBES 30 under 30. Today, Melati is excited about her new youth empowerment project; YOUTHTOPIA, empowering youth through meaningful and short peer to peer programs and providing them the tools they need to be young changemakers.

Speaks About

• How to be a successful youth climate activist.
• How she mobilised all the NGO's, Charities, Agencies and Activists in Malaysia to insist on the banning of single use plastic bags and WON!

Headteacher/Principal of a school in Uganda. Sara Namutebi talks about Sustainability and the struggles her pupils, their parents and community have experienced as a direct result of unsustainable practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Uganda.  She talks about education and climate literacy being the one item that is at the very top of her wishlist.  Internet, technology, gender and how we need to help with training, skills transfer, knowledge, books, learning, sharing of books and more.  This is a moving interview and we do warn sensitive viewers that it contains shocking testimony about rape of children collecting firewood to cook their daily meal. 

Speaks About

• The disturbing results of the COVID19 Lockdown on children in rural regions in Uganda, Africa.  Abuse, homelessness, lost learning, digital access for only the elite and wealthiest whilst the poorest have no phones and no access to data.  
• The children raped whilst collecting firewood and the more than 500 rape related pregnancies of children now locked out of the education system altogether due to shame and societal barriers.
• Unsustainable living practices and lack of knowledge to use solar cookers, efficient food cooking low tech solutions.  
• Books, Chairs, Tables, Computers and access to the internet in a school in Uganda.  How they cope and what their Recovery Strategy will be. 

Beginning her career in 1991, selling branded fashion, she moved into buying at Costco Wholesale in 1994. This role involved buying high end and luxury product in high volumes.

 Her next role, at TK Maxx, was responsible for buying, OTB, stock management and annual sales budgets for the ladieswear division.

In 2005 she relocated to the Middle East as Business Director for Fast Fashion within Al Shaya. Having worked in a variety of different sales and buying functions such as off price, high volume and luxury fashion, this now added franchise retailing to her experience.

 In 2010 she moved to the Landmark Group in Dubai to head up their International Franchise Business. Managing a team of Brand Managers, Merchandisers, Operations and VM Managers running 120 stores across the GCC.

 Moving to DGrade to take on a sales and operational role enabled her to ‘make a difference’ in a Green industry, striving to create a better environment.

Speaks About

• How recovering and recycling plastic in schools will negate the Eco-Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress from COVID-19. 
• How educators can help children enjoy positive eco projects such as the Simply Bottles outreach for DGrade recycled clothing.

Headteacher
Holme Grange School -Wokingham

Speaks About

• The need to cultivating curiosity, a sense of awe and wonder, an appreciation of the world and a love of learning, developing a curriculum that actively encourages stewardship and social responsibility.
• The importance of equipping and empowering staff to support pupil development building a knowledgeable sustainable learning community
• A commitment to building teams, both within her own school and the wider community, local, national and international as through collaboration and partnership we can make a difference and leads on driving sustainable initiatives.