Keep New Zealand Beautiful

Educating and Inspiring the next generation of Tidy Kiwis

Environmental initiatives in schools are key to helping make this happen, by starting conversations, engaging kids and building a sense of community.

We offer a variety of environmental education programmes for children of all ages to teach our kids the importance of caring for and protecting our environment. Click on the titles or images below to visit our website and find out more about each programme.

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Eco-Schools Programme

Eco-Schools is the largest global sustainable schools programme – it starts in the classroom and expands to the community by engaging the next generation in action-based learning. The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in their school and local community, while at the same time having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school staff and the community.

Developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Eco-Schools currently has 19.5 million students and educators, from 59,000 schools in 74 countries, engaging with its sustainable development education programme.

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Young Reporters for the Environment

Young Reporters for the Environment Litter Less Programme (YRE) is an international programme currently running in 45 countries. This environmental education programme is run through schools and empowers young people, between the ages of 11-25 years old, to report on local environmental issues through the media of writing, photography or video.

Students are also asked to link their projects to one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Upstream Battle

Did you know that 80% of marine litter globally starts life on land? Our Upstream Battle citizen science programme aims to get students and volunteers across the country collecting litter at key upstream sites, such as rivers, lakes and streams to provide a better understanding of the root causes of ocean pollution.

This environmental education programme links to the New Zealand Curriculum. Data collected as part of this programme will contribute to both national and international research.

Backyard Battle

Our Backyard Battle citizen science programme gets students, teachers, volunteers and other citizen scientists out collecting litter at key inland sites, such as public recreational spaces, highways and railways, car parks, residential, retail and industrial sites to help create a better understanding of litter’s pathway across our land.

Data collected as part of this programme will contribute to both national and international research.

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Clean Up Week

Each year we hold our annual Clean Up Week – a week-long event which takes place every spring.

In 2021, we had a total of 30,390 volunteers take part collecting almost 295 tonnes of litter across an area equivalent to 2,589 rugby fields!

This is a great opportunity to get your school together to participate in New Zealand’s largest clean up event.

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Resene Wall Worthy Competition

Our Resene Wall Worthy Competition gives local early childhood centres, schools and youth groups the chance to tell their local history, celebrate a local hero or communicate a nature or conservation theme on a wall in their community.

Teach your tamariki the importance of Keeping New Zealand Beautiful by getting them involved in creating the design and bringing it to life! Winning submissions receive a $750 Resene voucher, drop cloth, vests, as well a $500 donation if the mural is completed by the end of the year.

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Kiki Kiwi & Friends Litter Less

Our Kiki Kiwi Litter Less Programme educates student aged 5-11-years old about the importance of ‘Doing the Right Thing’. This programme has been developed in line with the New Zealand Curriculum.

The programme consists of six inquiry questions and is delivered by teachers over 12 lesson and three themes: defining litter, understanding litter, actions.

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Kai Garden

Our Kai Garden Competition is a great way for tamariki aged 3-13 years to develop a greater understanding of the natural world and to gain hands-on experience building a small kai or rongoā garden for their school.

This fun and educational competition gives tamariki the opportunity to collaborate and design a garden which is constructed using sustainable and reclaimed materials whilst the accompanying lessons have been designed to turn your Kai Garden design project into a full unit of work.

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Kai Connections

Organise a Kai Connections picnic to enjoy food that’s good for you and good for the planet. Kai Connections is a fun, easy and educational way for students, whānau and friends to demonstrate commitment to kai pai (good food) and kai mo te pai (food for good) by coming together to share in an environmentally friendly meal.

By registering for Kai Connections you’ll gain access to our resource pack, including our event guide which includes everything you need to know to organise your own Kai Connections picnic.

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Climate Ready Classrooms

Help to create Aotearoa’s next generation of carbon literate ambassadors. Our Climate Ready Classrooms programme introduces learners to the key concepts surrounding climate change and empowers learners to take climate action.

Climate Ready Classrooms is a series of workshops designed with the NZ Curriculum in mind that explore the issues of climate change in an engaging and motivating way.

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