There is an ocean apart between the real world of media and the cyberspace world that children live and dream of. Bringing these two worlds closer together require doses of creativity and elements of innovative ideas that need to match and connect with the unorthodox thinking of children. Interactive learning is a developing mode which our local educational system is managing to incorporate in the day-to-day learning of students. This way of learning is already leaving positive and effective signs of behavioural change which we so crave for in this country. The function of education needs to be defocused from an exam syndrome to a life sharing experience.

At the beginning of this year the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) published “The State of the Environment Report” a comprehensive document whose aims were to support progress towards sustainable development by providing credible environmental information, provide guidance for the development of new policy directions and help identify investment requirements. In order to simplify this technical report, the authority also published an accompanying pocket-book reference that summarised the key messages, gave the principal indicators used in building it and listed the action priorities it identifies.

To make this report more accessible and practical for students to use and explore, the authority penned out a project for schoolchildren that combined the environment with the media industry, the first of its kind in Malta. Through the cooperation of EkoSkola, this project set out to provide students with the opportunity to explore the relevance of local environmental issues to their lives, help students express their understanding and feelings about these issues and to empower students to befriend the use of the digital media.

To accomplish its purpose and give students a tangible experience, Mepa partnered with some of Malta’s top media houses which included Media.link Communications Ltd, One Productions Ltd, Media Centre, Standard Publications, Allied Group and The Bigger Picture. For this project to take off each school had to choose a particular environmental topic from the report that included air, climate change, land, landscape, soil, water, waste and biodiversity.

Together with this, the students had to produce a framework with their own understanding on the topic and the message they wished to convey and choose media with which to communicate to the public. It was the authority’s primary intention to move away from the traditional ways of expression through poetry, essays and picture drawing and give the students the chance to discover the tools of video clips, radio audio, web sites, newspaper supplements and performing arts.

Prior to them working on their chosen theme the students were able to experience the day-to-day works that take place in a media house. Students mingled with on-site staff and posed questions that helped them get a better understand of the operations and a basis for them to take off with their project.

The hands-on work started when the students first meet up with their assigned journalist or producer whose role it was to guide and assist each group of students with script writing techniques and how best to re-interpret the material they worked on to best suit the media they had chosen.

The students blended skillfully with all media personnel including NET TV presenter Amanda Ciappara, RTK producer Sonya Young and Super One journalist Claudette Baldacchino. With much needed assistance and patience Head of In-house Productions at One Productions Ltd. Mark Doneo, Head of Operations Media.Link Communications Limited Sergio Pisani and Managing Director at The Bigger Picture Matthew Pullicino found all the time to carry the students through the production and editing of their clip.

With great enthusiasm and a desire to experience, the students of St Monica School Gzira, St Bernadette Primary School of San Gwann and St Joseph Mater Boni Consilli School Paola produced three impressive 60-second videos.

Patri Matthew Sultana Primary School in Xaghra Gozo produced a 60 second radio clip and also participated in a recorded programme on RTK L-Annimali u L-Ambjent. Antonio Sciortino Primary School in Zebbug and the St Joseph School in Blata l-Bajda produced two environment children’s supplements for The Malta Independent and The Times respectively. Dun Alwig Camilleri Primary School in Zejtun expressed their message and works through a website while the Primary Schools of Zurrieq and Mqabba produced and choreographed music based art.

To conclude this project the students were invited to present their works, ideas and thoughts to Members of Parliament in an extraordinary parliamentary session. With a full house students called upon the Speaker of the House to approve a motion in favour of the environment which stated: “We are not only tomorrow’s citizens. Through EkoSkola and as citizens we feel that we are contributing towards a better country as from today. But our future also lies in your hands Honorable Members of Parliament. Whatever we do, it is you that have the power to decide what quality of life we will have tomorrow. With this in mind we wish you to support our efforts for a cleaner Malta by promising us that every decision that you take in this House of Parliament will be for the good of today and tomorrow for us to have a healthier environment to live in and so share in our country’s beauty in the coming years”. All the members present on both sides of the house approved the motion unanimously.

There are few things that give you more satisfaction than when you see young students passionate to discover, learn and experience…the success of this project was not about the doing of things but in making students believe in themselves, believe that they can make a difference to today’s and tomorrow’s environment.

This project also involved the full cooperation of the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry.

Following are some comments on the project:

The experience we had with the students from the Patri Matthew Sultana School in Xaghra Gozo was a very positive one. Notwithstanding their young age the students showed a great interest in the environment. Together with their teacher they worked fervidly to ensure that this project was successful. RTK is proud to have participated in this experience and initiative.

Sonia Young

Producer/Administrative Assistant

RTK Radio

We were approached to explain broadcasting in Malta to students from St Joseph’s School (Paola) and St Monica (Gzira). The experience started with a tour to the premises where the students saw how all the productions are created from scratch whether it was a newspaper, TV news feature or a radio advert. Students from St Joseph’s School also worked on the Audio Visual aspect through television with Amanda Ciappara (newscaster) and Jeremy Dalli (video editor).The tour ended with tokens of the day being handed to the students. As the principal media communications company we strive to provide the population with a constant flow of up-to-date information. As an additional service to the general public we offer dedication and commitment to any projects which might make use of our specialisations.

Sergio Pisani

Head of Operations

Media.Link Communications Limited

The initiatives suggested by the EkoSkola Council are surely making the other children more aware of environmental issues (e.g. the three Rs, waste separation, not to waste electricity, eco-wardens). The children now think before they throw something away; they try to reduce and don’t leave their classes without switching off the fans and electricity.

The council itself helped its members to be assertive about their decisions and to realise how important it is to take a stand where environmental issues are concerned. The Eko Parliament was a wonderful experience – it was a unique opportunity for the children to understand how a video is produced and how parliament works. It was an experience the children will never forget and I am sure they would like to be part of it next year too.

EkoSkola –

Ms. M. Azzopardi Duca

The EkoSkola Council saw the opportunity to promote a better environment by promoting collective decision – making. This was possible when we worked out the video feature based on the findings of the State of the Environment Report. We also learned how to work together and take decisions together. We liked the fact that the teacher and the headmistress let us give our ideas, decide on the right action plan and put them into practice.

The Eko Parliament was a wonderful experience as none of us had ever been there before. We all felt very lucky that we could express our thoughts, ideas and concerns to the ministers who can actually do something about it.

We believe that most of us will try and be part of this council next year too.

EkoSkola – council

This was an excellent incentive by Mepa, introducing our youngsters to the beauty of an environmentally friendly world and highlighting ways of making our country ecologically more friendly, pointing out (in their unique fashion) problems that seem to bother kids most!

I personally jumped at the idea at helping out, since this is consistent with the Station’s policy to contribute as much as possible in social awareness campaigns all over the country.

St. Bernadette School of San Gwann Primary ‘B’ were assigned to ONE Productions and immediately work began on their “waste” project.

A group of 10 lively children and their teacher were given a thorough tour of the station, introducing the group to the mechanics and day-to-day workings of our busy TV station. Later they were joined by Ms Claudette Baldacchino, who was briefed on their idea. Ms Baldacchino then helped the students draft their idea into script form and from there the filming was scheduled. The children were involved in the filming as well and it was an absolute pleasure to see their enthusiasm and eagerness to participate. The final edited version of the St Bernadette S.Gwann Primary ‘B’ EkoSkola Parliament 2006 entry is an excellent example of how our children (with a little incentive) can physically and intellectually contribute to an ecologically friendly environment and make us “adults” proud to be able to help out.

The actual Parliament session was another marvellous experience because it is always a marvel watching our youngsters gleefully participate in “the grown up world” and leaving their mark for a good cause.

ONE Productions was proud to be a part of it this year and will hopefully participate in a similar experience in their future plans.

Mark Doneo

Head of In-house Productions

One Productions Ltd.

This was our first experience as a school at the EkoSkola parliament. We started the EkoSkola programme only recently and decided to take up this opportunity when the application forms arrived.

This was a very interesting and challenging experience for all the students and teachers involved. The students in the committee chose the theme they wanted to work on and the medium they wanted to use. It is very refreshing to see children taking active decisions about what they want to do and being so determined about it.

The medium chosen was a video production. What was interesting was that the process did not only involve producing the clip but also an educative visit to medialink productions to inform students more on producing different types of media including newspapers and radio productions.

The filming process was very exciting. This was a first time experience for most of the students. We were helped all the way through by The Bigger Picture, and the students were involved even in the editing.

The parliament session itself was very stimulating. Being there among other schools and sharing work and ideas made it so.

The most rewarding bit of it all though was seeing my students talking with members of parliament and standing up in front of everyone, showing their work proudly and speaking up in favour of a better environment.

Karen Buttigieg

St Monica School, Gzira

I had the opportunity to go to the EkoSkola parliament. This was an excellent informative challenge. I learned a lot, about the environment around me and how I should take more care of it. Our project was about “WASTE”. We explained that reducing and re-using the waste are better methods than recycling since recycling pollutes the air around us. I will never forget this experience in my whole life.

Thanks to our teacher Ms Karen Buttigieg I was given the opportunity to participate in such an interesting event and also plucked up the courage to speak up in front of a full house of parliamentary members.

Svetlana Saffrett

4th Form Student

St Monica School, Gzira

Peter Gingell is Marketing Executive within the Communication Office of the Malta Environment & 12