Sustainability in schools

The Ministry of Education is the Government’s lead advisor on the New Zealand education system, shaping the direction for sector agencies and providers.

Discover

Supporting teachers to incorporate sustainability and global citizenship across the curriculum.

Expo 2020 was planned to take place over six months in Dubai and bring together 190 nations and 25 million international visitors.

The Ministry of Education came to us to create a web resource for teachers and students that aligned with the New Zealand pavilion’s theme of ‘Care for People and Place.’

It needed to provide a call to action as a catalyst for teachers and students to engage in local projects and relevant inquiries.

Design

A multifaceted website that encourages local action.

Early engagement with schools highlighted the need for a solution to provide guidance and resources and the flexibility to tailor and localise the approach. 

We designed interactive pathways, allowing learners to explore the concepts of tūrangawaewae (understanding where I stand), kaitiakitanga (caring for people and place), and whakapuāwai (flourishing ever forward).

Pathways are rich with ideas for inquiry questions, activities to discover more about the topic and interpret findings, suggestions for how their learners can take action, and links to carefully curated external resources.

Throughout the website, teachers can save elements into a pātaka (a storehouse), helping them gather ideas that resonate and build their own approach. 

Deliver

Learning that is place-based, inquiry-led, and focused on participation for change.

While Expo 2020 was one of the many casualties of the Covid 19 pandemic, the website Pūtātara (‘call to action’ in te reo Māori) was designed to outlive the event and has become a much-used and valued resource.

You can explore Pūtātara here