T4 Education
A school founded by two Darwin alumni has won a global award for its commitment to sustainability.
The Arbor School was opened in Dubai in 2018 by Sa’ad Al Omari (PhD, Zoology, 2004) and Pirin Erdoğdu (PhD, Astronomy, 2004). An international school based on the British curriculum, it was founded on principles of ecology, sustainability and environmental justice, which shape both its curriculum and its culture. The school was announced this week as the recipient of the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action, by online education platform T4 Education.
With six biodomes, or ‘living classrooms’ on-site, students grow their own food while learning about plant cultivation, ecosystems and sustainability, as well as more context-specific issues such as mangrove and coral reef conservation, and protecting turtles. School buses are fuelled by biodiesel, and students are engaged in an eco-council, as eco-ambassadors and eco-influencers.
“It’s more than knowing facts about the environment, it’s about developing skills and values and a sense of responsibility among young people,” the Principal, Gemma Thornley, told UAE newspaper the National.
“Not every school has biodomes, but every school can develop an eco-literacy curriculum. There’s lots of opportunities for schools to get involved in beach clean-ups … you can integrate that into the curriculum. All schools, no matter how small or big, can prepare people for a future that’s uncertain. Part of that is looking at environmental sustainability.”
Just seven years after its foundation, the Arbor has 1,500 students representing 87 different nationalities, ensuring that its embedding of sustainable action throughout a child’s school experience has a potentially global impact.
“We are proud that an idea first sparked in conversations at Darwin Bar and Frank Young House has now gained international recognition,” said Pirin. “We are delighted to share this news with the Darwin community.”
