From water and waste to biodiversity and community action, Free State schools demonstrate the power of education to drive real environmental impact

Pictured above: Recipients of the Gold and International Flag awards; speaker Mrs. Ralepedi from Department of Basic Education giving word of support to the Eco-Schools programme

Bloemfontein, South Africa – 25 March 2026: WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) has recognised s for their measurable environmental action and sustainability leadership at the 2025 Eco-Schools Awards, held on 12 March 2026 at Windmill Casino in Bloemfontein.

Part of the world’s largest education for sustainable development programme, Eco-Schools equips learners and educators to move beyond awareness and into meaningful, school-wide environmental action. In the Free State, these awards reflect not only participation in the programme, but tangible impact across communities and ecosystems.

The ceremony brought together key stakeholders including the Department of Education, the Department of Water and Sanitation, and the Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA), alongside educators and eco-committee representatives from schools across the province.

DESTEA and WESSA share a long-standing partnership of over 10 years, through which environmental education has been successfully delivered to more than 100 Eco-Schools across the Free State Province. This collaboration demonstrates the how sustained partnerships can advance education for sustainable development.

From learning to action across key environmental themes

Throughout 2025, participating schools implemented practical environmental projects across core Eco-Schools themes including health and wellbeing, water, waste, nature and biodiversity, and community and heritage. These projects enabled schools to progress through the programme’s award levels, demonstrating a clear commitment to sustainability in action.

From improving waste management practices to protecting biodiversity and strengthening community engagement, learners and educators continue to show that environmental education is most powerful when it leads to real-world change.

Recognising long-term commitment and excellence

The awards ceremony celebrated achievements across multiple levels, from Bronze through to the prestigious International Green Flag, with several schools also recognised for long-term commitment to the programme – including Batjha Primary School from Botshabelo in Mangaung Metro and Nthuthuzelo Primary School from Bultfontein Lejweleputswa District, each receiving the Diamond Award for participating for 10 years in the programme.

Pictured above: Diamond Award and Eco Flag recipients. Image source: DESTEA

These milestones reflect sustained environmental leadership and the embedding of sustainability into school culture over time.

In her closing remarks, Ms Nozi Nkoe, Chief Director for Environmental Management at DESTEA, acknowledged the collective effort behind the programme, highlighting the critical role of educators in driving environmental action within schools and communities.

Pictured above: Ms Nozi Nkoe, Chief Director for Environmental Management at DESTEA. Image source: DESTEA

Strengthening partnerships for impact

When government departments join hands with WESSA as an implementation partner, it strengthens coordination, optimises resources, and enhances impact at grassroots level, enabling schools and communities to benefit from integrated support. This ensures that environmental education is not only taught but actively practiced, fostering responsible citizenship and sustainable livelihoods.

As the Eco-Schools Programme continues to grow, it remains a powerful platform for equipping young people with the knowledge, skills and agency to respond to environmental challenges – and to lead change within their communities.

Pictured above: Award recipients, WESSA and DAERL representatives)

Schools across the province demonstrate how education is driving real environmental impact

Kimberley, South Africa – 24 March 2026: WESSA (The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), in partnership with the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform (DAERL), has recognised 29 schools for their environmental leadership at the Northern Cape Eco-Schools Awards Ceremony, held at Eden Lodge in Kimberley.

Part of the world’s largest education for sustainable development programme, Eco-Schools empowers learners and educators to move beyond awareness into meaningful environmental action. In the Northern Cape – where water scarcity, land management, and climate pressures remain critical – these awards reflect schools that are actively responding to environmental challenges within their communities.

The provincial awards, coordinated by DAERL, highlight not only participation in the Eco-Schools programme, but measurable impact through projects focused on sustainability, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Representing WESSA at the event, Daniel Jackson, Junior Project Manager in the Schools and Youth Division, commended the schools for their commitment to embedding environmental learning into everyday practice.

Recognising excellence in environmental action

In addition to Eco-Schools recognition, DAERL honoured the top five performing schools in the province, celebrating outstanding project implementation and environmental impact:

• 1st Place: Willie Theron Primary School
• 2nd Place: Moedi Secondary School
• 3rd Place: St Anna Private Secondary Girls School
• 4th Place: Sedibeng Primary School
• 5th Place: Delta Primary School

These schools were recognised for going beyond programme requirements, demonstrating innovation, leadership and tangible environmental outcomes within their school environments and surrounding communities.

A growing movement of environmental leadership

The Eco-Schools programme continues to play a critical role in shaping environmentally conscious citizens by linking curriculum-based learning with real-world action. Through initiatives such as water conservation, waste management, biodiversity protection and climate awareness, schools are becoming hubs of environmental change.

“These awards are a powerful reminder that environmental leadership is being shaped in our classrooms. The Northern Cape Eco-Schools are not just participating in a programme – they are driving real change in their schools and communities. Their work reflects the heart of WESSA’s mission: to educate, advocate and activate a generation that will care for the Earth,” adds WESSA CEO, Cindy-Lee Cloete.

The partnership between WESSA and DAERL reflects a shared commitment to strengthening environmental education across the province, ensuring that learners are equipped with the knowledge, skills and agency to respond to current and future environmental challenges.

Looking ahead

As WESSA marks its centenary year, the achievements of the Northern Cape Eco-Schools is a reminder that lasting environmental impact begins with education. By enabling young people to take action, the programme continues to build a generation that is informed, engaged and ready to lead.

Link to the full photo album available via our Facebook page

Full list of awarded schools and categories:

International Flag Decade (1): Dr Izak van Niekerk Primary

Gold Decade (2)

• Ferdinand Brecher Primary
• St Anna Private Secondary Girls School

International (1): Sedibeng Primary School

Platinum Level Four (2):

• Reaipela Intermediate School
• Rolihlahla Intermediate School

Platinum Level One (2):

• St Patrick’s CBC
• Thabane High School

Silver (5)

• N Pressly Intermediate School
• Elizabeth Conradie School
• R Mocwaledi Intermediate School
• Willie Theron Primary School
• Delta Primary School

Bronze (16):

• Reneilwe Primary School
• Barkly-Wes Primêr
• Olympic Primary School
• Kimberley Boys’ High School
• Stillwater Intermediate School
• Pnielandgoed Primêre Skool
• Greenpoint Primary School
• Tadcaster Intermediate School
• Adamantia High School
• Technical High School
• E.P. Lekhela High School
• Retlameleng Special School
• Taudiarora Primary School
• Kareeville Primary School
• Segwaneng Primary School
• Moedi Secondary School

 

Pictured: Group photo of 2025 award recipients, Gauteng Eco-Schools

Multi-stakeholder partnerships power measurable sustainability outcomes in over 120 Gauteng schools

Johannesburg, South Africa – 4 March 2026: Gauteng’s schools took centre stage at the WESSA Eco-Schools Awards Ceremony, held at The Garden Venue Hotel on 27 February 2026, where educators, learners, partners and government representatives gathered to recognise measurable environmental action across the province.

Hosted by WESSA (The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) during its centenary year, the ceremony recognised schools implementing practical sustainability initiatives ranging from biodiversity restoration and waste management to water stewardship and community outreach.

Opening the ceremony, WESSA CEO Cindy-Lee Cloete situated the moment within the organisation’s historic milestone, “Whether you’ve been with us for decades or just a couple of days, today you are part of something extraordinary, because we sit at 100 this year – 100 years of citizen action, 100 years of environmental leadership, 100 years of believing that education is the lever that will make a change in our communities and in our schools.”

Pictured above: WESSA CEO Cindy-Lee Cloete

She emphasised that the Eco-Schools programme represents more than environmental awareness, Cloete shared that, “EcoSchools in South Africa is one of the most impactful environmental education programmes in this country, not just a WESSA programme, but a teacher movement and a learner-led action campaign.”

Education as nation building

Addressing principals and educators in the room, Cloete highlighted the enduring power of classroom leadership, “Policy can shift, funding cycles can fluctuate, governments can change, economies can wobble – but a teacher in a classroom committed to raising environmentally conscious citizens, that is nation building; that is long-term change.” She reminded schools that their work extends far beyond compliance with curriculum requirements, “You are not just delivering a curriculum; you are shaping citizens for the future and raising a generation that will not see sustainability as a project, but as a way of being.”

The keynote address by Ms Dululu Hlatshaneni, Deputy Director: Social Cohesion and Equity in Education at the Department of Basic Education, affirmed the programme’s provincial impact, stating that, “In this cycle alone, 622 schools are participating nationally, and here in Gauteng we celebrate over 100 schools whose commitment to environmental education is transforming their communities. These achievements reflect leadership, innovation and a shared vision for sustainable development.”

Pictured above: Ms Dululu Hlatshaneni, Deputy Director: Social Cohesion and Equity in Education at the Department of Basic Education

From waste to water, showcasing measurable impact

Selected schools showcased projects demonstrating the depth of environmental action taking place across Gauteng:

• ADvTECH Schools reported 98 environmental projects implemented across 42 participating schools in 2025 alone, alongside 253 environmental days and 254 environmental lessons delivered.
• The eWASA & WESSA SA Schools Waste Management and Education Project reached more than 2,700 learners and 70 teachers, with schools recycling over 16,000 kilograms of waste.
• Under the UNICEF Green Rising Project, Phase 1 reached over 12,000 people across 66 schools and communities nationally, planted 2,148 trees, cleaned 700 tons of waste and rehabilitated 260 hectares of land.

A spotlight on leadership with these special awards

Several schools were recognised for exceptional thematic leadership:

• Biodiversity Stewardship Award: Ipontshe Primary School
• Circular Economy Champion Award: Diepsloot Secondary School No. 3 (recycling over 8,000kg of waste and demonstrating innovation in reuse initiatives)
• Water Wise Warriors Award: Moduopo Primary School
• Ubuntu for Nature Award: Pinnacle Colleges Rynfield
• Eco-Innovation Award: Waterkloof House Preparatory School

“When young people feel connected to nature, they feel connected to themselves and through our Eco-Schools programme we are raising a generation that will protect who we are into the future,” adds Cloete.

The ceremony also honoured long-standing corporate and institutional partners including ADvTECH, AECI, Clean Air Fund, the Department of Basic Education, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), ENGIE, eWASA, First Rand Foundation, Groundwork, Modderfontein Conservation Society, N3TC, Nedbank, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Sun International, UNICEF and WISPECO Aluminium.

As WESSA enters its second century, Cloete closed with a call to collective responsibility: “The next century of WESSA belongs to all of you and it begins with all of us. Remember: together, we educate, we advocate, we act for our natural heritage.”

Full list of Schools recognised – As awarded at the Gauteng Eco-Schools Awards Ceremony 2025)

ADvTECH Schools

• Platinum 2 Decade (Year 17): Pecanwood College (also recipient of the ADvTECH Snippets Award)
• Green Flag Decade (Year 13): Pinnacle Colleges Ridge View
• Bronze Decade (Year 11): Tyger Valley College
• Platinum 2 (Year 7): Crawford International Sandton
• Gold Award (Year 4): Trinityhouse Little Falls
• Silver Award (Year 2):
  • Abbotts High School Centurion
  • Abbotts High School Johannesburg South
  • Abbotts High School Northcliff
  • Abbotts High School Pretoria East
  • Crawford International Bedfordview
  • Crawford International Bryanston
  • Crawford International Fourways
  • Crawford International Lonehill
  • Crawford International Pretoria
  • Crawford International Ruimsig
  • Junior Colleges Fourways
  • Junior Colleges Meyersdal
  • Junior Colleges Raslouw
  • Junior Colleges Ridge View
  • Junior Colleges Sunninghill
  • Maragon Mooikloof
  • Maragon Olympus
  • Southdowns College
  • Pinnacle Colleges Copperleaf
  • Pinnacle Colleges Founders Hill
  • Pinnacle Colleges Kyalami
  • Pinnacle Colleges Linden
  • Pinnacle Colleges Raslouw
  • Pinnacle Colleges Rynfield
  • Pinnacle Colleges Waterfall
  • The Bridge School Lonehill
  • The Bridge School Morningside
  • Trinityhouse Centurion
  • Trinityhouse Glenvista
  • Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge

eWASA & WESSA SA Schools Waste Management Project

Silver Award (Year 2):

• Diepsloot Combined School
• Diepsloot Secondary School No. 3
• Diepsloot West Secondary School
• Itirele-Zenzele Comprehensive School
• Masisebenze Comprehensive School
• Masiqhakaze Secondary School
• Sunrise High School
• Tembisa West Secondary School
• Winnie Mandela Secondary School
• Zitikeni Secondary School

AECI & Modderfontein Conservation Society

• Green Flag (Year 3) & LEAF Award: Ikage Primary School
• Silver (Year 2) & LEAF Awards:
  • Bovet Primary School
  • Iphutheng Primary School
  • OR Tambo Primary School
  • Zenzeleni Primary School

Sun International Eco-Schools Project

• Platinum 2 (Year 7):
  • Ipontshe Primary School
  • Moduopo Primary School
• Gold (Year 4):
  • Buhlebemfundo Secondary School
  • Ekukhanyisweni Primary School
  • Mamelodi East Prevocational School
  • Soshanguve Secondary
  • Tembisa School of Specialization
  • Tsimong Primary School

N3TC Eco-Schools

• Green Flag Decade (Year 13):
  • Ntataise Educare Centre
  • Zenzeleni Educare Centre
• Bronze Decade (Year 11): Zamaleka Primary School
• Diamond (Year 10): Phomello Primary School
• Platinum 4 (Year 9): Thuto ke Lesedi Educare Centre
• Platinum 1 (Year 6):
  • Qalabotjha Creche
  • Qalabotjha Secondary School
• International Flag (Year 5): Retshedisitswe Secondary School

WISPECO Aluminium Eco-Schools

• Strelitzia (21 Years): Monde Primary School
• Silver (Year 2): Tamaho Primary School
• Bronze (Year 1): Naledi Pre School

Independently Registered Schools (Department of Basic Education)

• Strelitzia (Year 20 – 2024) & Arum Lily (Year 21 – 2025): Laerskool Anton Van Wouw
• Emerald (Year 20): St Andrew’s School for Girls
• Platinum 3 Decade (Year 17): Waterkloof House Preparatory School
• Platinum 1 Decade (Year 16): Brescia House School
• Green Flag Decade (Year 13): Jiyana Secondary School
• Bronze Decade (Year 11): St Peter’s Prep School
• Platinum 2 (Year 7): Jeppe High School for Girls
• Platinum 1 (Year 6): Jan Celliers Laerskool en Pre-Primêr
• International Flag (Year 5):
  • Hoërskool Zwartkop
  • Sedi-Laka Primary School
• Gold (Year 4):
  • Canterbury Preparatory School
  • Comforters Kiddies Care Centre
  • Zama Zama New School of Hope
• Green Flag (Year 3):
  • Kyalami Preparatory School
  • Pridwin Preparatory School
• Silver (Year 2):
  • St Stithians College
  • Yellow Wood Environmental Preparatory School
• Bronze (Year 1):
  • Beaulieu Preparatory School
  • Bryanston Primary School
  • Thorntree Primary School