Press Release

Hanoi Environmental Education Program Launched

Hanoi, April 18, 2005.

Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) is bringing its experience from the forests of Vietnam and hitting the streets of Hanoi with a new environmental education program in Hanoi schools that was launched at the end of March, 2005.

In cooperation with the Hanoi Retraining College for Teachers and Educational Managers (HRCTEM), ENV is working with ten local secondary schools to establish nature clubs for students aimed at raising their awareness of urban environmental issues. Eight lesson plans have been developed for the program, which will run in classrooms, clubs, and through special activities for students.

Nature Club meetings in schools are held every month and involve students from grades 6 and 7. Each lesson focuses on specific themes such as waste disposal, and pollution of air and water. The key message are delivered through a creative combination of discussions, activities and games.

The first two Nature Club meetings were held in Quang An and Nguyen Truong To Secondary Schools in the Tay Ho and Dong Da Districts of Hanoi on 31st March 2005. During the first club session, about 100 students took part in activities focused on increasing their awareness key urban environmental issues. As part of the first lesson plan, students each received copies of the “Hanoi Nature Club Membership Booklet” that includes interesting information about key environmental issues facing their urban environment in Hanoi.

ENV wishes to thank the Asia Foundation and the US Agency for International Development for their support for the new program. ENV would also like to thank the Belgium Embassy-supported Environmental Education Project with the Hanoi Teacher Retraining College for their cooperation and encouragement.

About ENV
Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) was established in 2001 as Vietnam’s first environmental education-focused NGO, built upon the success and experience of the community-based Conservation Awareness Programme at Cuc Phuong National Park. ENV specializes in training environmental educators, and carries out a variety of educational programs and initiatives aimed at raising awareness and understanding about the environment, and the need to protect nature and wildlife in Vietnam.

For more information about Green Forest, please contact:

Nguyen Phuong Dung
Education for Nature – Vietnam
Tel: (84-4)7753685.
Email: communication.env@fpt.vn
Visit our website:
www.envietnam.org (English)
www.thiennhien.org (Vietnamese language)