Speaking at the prestigious event, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy said:

Sustainable development is only possible if it is informed and underpinned by an environmentally literate society. The fundamental message is that environmental management and environmental sustainability is everybody’s issue. We are hearing school children around the world saying, ‘This is our future. We have to have a voice in what this future is going to look like and how we solve the problems that threaten our future.’

The Eco-Logic Awards identify individuals, organisations and communities that positively contribute towards a sustainable world. Established by The Enviropaedia in 2011, the initiative has since grown into South Africa’s most Glamorously Green eco-calendar event, receiving extensive TV, radio, print media and online coverage.

David Fu, Streetlight’s CEO, says:

Streetlight Schools was nominated for an Eco-Build Award by Enviropaedia, and we took first place in our category! The judges were impressed by the fact that we demonstrated that it is possible to build a school in an environmentally sustainable way in a low-resource community, and that the solution can ultimately be scaled up to other communities.

The site for the school, Jeppe Park Primary, is in the heart of Johannesburg’s inner city, within walking distance of Jeppe Station and directly opposite Jeppe Park. The building is naturally ventilated, providing healthy indoor spaces. Clever use of locally sourced materials allows for acoustically designed spaces such as classrooms, libraries, play and social areas suited to educational purposes. School-ground greening allows for various outdoor activities, and nature is included as an integral part of learning and development. The food produced on the development’s rooftop farming project is also incorporated within the healthy diet that is provided for all students at the school daily.

Streetlight Schools focuses on high-quality, low-cost education, and puts the wellbeing of its students first. The holistic development of young learners is supported, including social-emotional skills, identity development and values. And the teacher recruitment and training process enables those without previous experience to become excellent, lifelong educators within two years.

Other articles on Streetlight Schools

• Streetlight Schools Project – Jeppe Park Primary
• Streetlight Schools: Wellness in Education
• Streetlight Schools: Sustainable Awareness in Education
• Streetlight Schools: Leading the way in Green Education

Commenting on the initiative as a whole, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu observed:

The Eco-Logic Awards have rewarded those who swim against the tide and who have been able to make a significant difference in our quest to create a more equitable and sustainable world. We honour those finalists and the work they do on behalf of the rest of us, and the practical demonstration of Ubuntu in action. They embody an ecological mindset and value system that I fully support.

The full list of GOLD Award winners is as follows:

• The Climate Change Award: Department of Agriculture: SmartAgri Plan
• The Eco-Innovation Award: Dekro Paints: Amoriguard A-Gain
• The Recycling & Waste Management Award: Green Cape: The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP)
• The Eco-Build Award: Streetlight Schools
• The Water Conservation Award: Enviro Options (Pty) Ltd
• The Green Economy Award: GreenCape Sector Development Agency
• The Biodiversity Award: City of Cape Town: Biodiversity Management
• The Municipalities Award: Ethekwini Municipality: The Aller River Pilot Project (ARPP)
• The Eco-Community Award: Xolobeni Community: Sustaining the Wild Coast
• The Eco-Youth Award: Joshua Potgieter and Imraan Samuels: Guerrilla House
• The Eco-Angel Award: Rhian Berning
• The Eco-Warrior Award: Sinegugu Zukulu
• The Lifetime Achievement Award: Pat Featherstone: Soil for Life