Applying for an award
 

• the most essential prerequisite for your application is that your school has been following the Seven Elements
• go through the list of award criteria and decide for which EkoSkola award you are eligible
• fill in the Award Application Form and send it to Nature Trust (Malta). (If you are applying for the Green Flag Award you will need to compile a report as well)

Schools may apply for the award at any time of the year.

Processing of the application

The Bronze and the Silver Award are usually awarded (in the form of a certificate) after a visit to the school by an evaluator from the EkoSkola Steering Committee.

The award of the Green Flag depends on an evaluation of the report sent by the school together with its application and a visit to the school by the evaluators. Most of the information needed to decide whether your school has been awarded the Green Flag required is already provided by the report. The aim of the evaluators’ visit is to provide an opportunity to discuss various aspects of the report with members of the EkoSkola Committee. After the visit, the evaluators report back to the EkoSkola Steering Committee - chaired by Nature Trust (Malta) as FEE’s representative – who decides whether the schools deserves the award of the Green Flag.

Keeping the Green Flag

Once awarded, the school can display the Green Flag – a prestigious internationally recognised and respected eco-label of high school performance – in its foyer, or hall or on a flagpole. The school will also be awarded a certificate and the permission to use the official EkoSkola logo on its letterhead and other school material.

The Green Flag award remains valid for two years after which you need to reapply to renew your award. When reapplying you need to review the award criteria once again and explain (in your report) how previous achievements were sustained and new improvements made.

Projected time-frame

A year is usually employed for the implementation of the environmental review and the drawing up of the action plan. Another year is usually spent in achieving the targets set out in the action plan. Schools are therefore expected to take at least two years before they can actually achieve the Green Flag for the first time.

You decide when you are ready to apply for an award. However, although schools will be informed about the fate of the application as soon as it is processed, the award giving ceremony will be held at the start of the following scholastic year during the yearly EkoSkola seminar.

Download the facilitator's resource sheet: Getting the awards and criteria:

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