When SMK Sri Muda was first selected as one of the participants in the Toyota Eco Youth challenge in 2007, little did they guess that it marked the beginning to a rewarding journey in conservation. The school, which emerged champion in Toyota Eco Youth 2007 and Battle of the Eco Champion 2010, is today a leading name in eco initiatives around the country, especially in the northern region.
Initiated in 2001, the Toyota Eco Youth (TEY), an annual environmental competition among selected secondary schools, is now a permanent environmental programme in many schools such as SMK Sri Muda. The programme was expanded in 2011 to involve the community surrounding the schools
“TEY 2007 was a major milestone for our school,” reflects Aziah Yahaya, a Physics teacher who has been heading the school’s green initiatives assisted by history teacher Mazlina Abdul Majid, living skills teacher Aliza Abdul Aziz and chemistry teacher Zuraini Zulkefley.
She adds that the 8-Steps Problem Solving Methodology taught in the programme is not only useful during the TEY challenge but is also used today as part of their teaching process. For instance, the teachers will look into the root cause of a student’s poor academic performance and devise ways to help him or her.
“TEY is really a one-of-a-kind competition. The students get a holistic learning experience, from problem-solving to marketing, public relation and public speaking. It equips them with skills not found in text-books,” says Aziah, adding that all past TEY participants are doing well in universities, with the 2010 batch striking 10As in their SPM that year.
What the teachers learnt during TEY continue to be taught and passed down to the current batch of students. “The most valuable lesson is that we must be proactive with environmental problems and take efforts to find solutions instead of waiting for help from the authorities or others. The 8-Step Problem Solving Methodology helps us see that we can make a difference if we try hard enough!’ says Aziah.
It all started with three grease traps created in 2007 for the Toyota Eco Youth challenge. Attached to the greywater system of the school canteen, the traps filtered the water before it was released to the drains. Over time however, the system became unsustainable due to increase of cost.
The grease traps were replaced with two newer greywater systems, one using a simple yet effective Density System, while another utilises a 4-stage filtration system using sugar cane waste, banana stems, rice stems and charcoal (for odour control). Once the fibrous materials degrade, they are replaced with fresh materials, while the used ones are piled at the compost area or fed to eudrilus eugeniae (African Night Crawler) earthworms to create vermicompost.
Ready compost is then used to nourish a vibrant vegetable garden with various vegetables, which are sold to the teachers, or served to visitors during meal times.
The Recycling Centre which sits close to the school’s main entrance, provides easy access to parents, teachers, students and the public who would like to drop off recyclable items such as used cooking oil, plastic containers, papers and more. These are sold, with a small percentage being shared with the students who bring in recycled goods, while the rest are parked into an environmental education fund.
Apart from being sold, some of the recycled items are given a new lease of life. A Green Room, once an abandoned store room, now houses various upcycled items such as soaps made from used cooking oil, handicrafts from old magazines and newspapers, even reinforced concrete bricks made from rice husks and cement.
“TEY changed our lives,” concludes Aziah. “We’re grateful to be selected as participants because no other green initiative could impact the students and teachers the same way.”
source: UMW Toyota Malaysia
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