Linking WASH in Schools...

...with Environmental Education & Practice

Blue Schools: the Approach in a Nutshell

A Blue School offers a healthy learning environment and exposes students to environmentally friendly technologies and practices that can be replicated in their communities. Although access to WASH services (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is the starting point, a Blue School goes beyond that: It also focuses on menstrual hygiene management, school garden activities, solid waste management, and environmentally friendly practices.

 

The Blue Schools Kit

The Blue Schools Kit is a compilation of inspirational support materials that guides schools in their pathway to improve water and sanitation services and integrate education on the environment. The Blue Schools Kit encompasses:

• WASH-related topics: safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, menstrual health, etc.
• Environment-related topics: sustainable land and water management techniques through school gardens, safe solid waste management, watershed and water cycle

You can download the Blue School Kit here: 

• English Version
• French Version
• Spanish Version
• Context of Cambodia – English Version
• Context of Cambodia – Khmer Version

The Blue Schools Kit contains the following documents:

1. CONCEPT BRIEF: The basics on Blue Schools, its components as well as a road map with recommendations on how to engage governmental and schools’ stakeholders and ensure sustainability.
Target audience: Any interested parties

2. CATALOGUE OF TECHNOLOGIES: For each Blue Schools topic, a compilation of low-costs and easy to replicate technologies to choose from depending on the context.
Target audience: Project staff, education authorities and school stakeholders

3. CATALOGUE OF PRACTICAL EXERCISES: For each Blue Schools topic, a compilation of hands-on, low-cost exercises that teachers can use to complement the theoretical lessons. The practical exercises target mainly students in upper primary school and secondary school.
Target audience: Teachers and trainers of trainers

4. FACILITATOR'S GUIDE: A visual support for each topic to initiate discussions with children, displaying a summary of relevant practical exercises from the Catalogues.
Target audience: Teachers and Blue Schools trainers

Do you have questions or feedback on the Blue Schools Kit? Please send us a message!

 

SWSC Community of Practice for Blue Schools

The SWSC would like to connect with practitioners active in the field of WASH in Schools. Are you implementing or interested to implement Blue Schools in your project? Are you interested to exchange lessons learned and best practices? Sign up for the Community of Practice for Blue Schools!

Sign up for the Community of Practice for Blue Schools

Please note: At the moment, the Community of Practice mainly targets project teams from Swiss organisations which are part of the SWSC. However, if you are interested to become a member, you can still register and we will inform you when the exchanges are open to a broader audience.

Repository: Guidance Documents and Further Reading

Info Card on Blue Schools:

Summary Note on Blue Schools:

Success Stories

• Caritas Switzerland’s Blue Schools in Cambodia – A Success Story (including a video)
• Blue Schools of Caritas Switzerland in Ethiopia: 13-year-old Fatiya is a Hygiene-Champion
• CHAST – Children Hygiene and Sanitation Training – a New Edition Launched by Caritas Switzerland
• Blue Schools in Sudan: SRC Supports Hard and Soft Skills in North Kordofan
• Blue Schools Kit Featured in UN-Habitat Campaign

 

Older Resources

Before the joint effort to develop the Blue Schools Kit, SWSC members compiled institutional learning exercises on Blue Schools experiences:

• Lessons learnt compiled from Blue School experiences in Benin and documented in a video (2016)
• Factsheet on Blue Schools based on experiences in Benin (2016)
• Blue Schools in Madagascar (poster) (2016)