Getting started

Before you start running an activity on the Pod, there are range of things you might want to think about.

The Pod is designed to compliment the Eco-Schools programme. Before you start an activity, it's a good idea to register with Eco-Schools and start their seven-step process.
The first step of this process is setting up an Eco-Schools committee or Action Team. This group of pupils will coordinate all of the school's environmental activities.
You should carry out an Environmental Review, looking at your school's current attitudes to energy, water, waste, transport, litter, biodiversity, the school grounds and healthy living.
Eco-Schools also recommend drawing up an Action Plan. This will highlight what you want to change in your school, how and when you wish to change it, and who will make the changes.

Another good way of preparing for an activity is to look at what other schools have done. There are already blogs on the Pod website for many of the activities.
We ask each school to complete a Lessons Learned Report when they finish an activity. Reading a Lessons Learned Report is a quick way of finding out the kinds of the challenges you might face.
If you want an overview of what Pod schools have achieved, visit the gallery. Search the images by Eco-Schools topic and school type to narrow down your results.

The Pod's philosophy is 'Learn, Act, Inspire'.
This means that we encourage you to learn about a topic before you start running any related activities.
For example, before you start switching off lights and electronic devices, it's a good idea to find out where your school gets its energy from and why wasting energy is bad for the environment.
Each topic has its own Learn page. It contains a downloadable pack with information about the key issues and questions. Your activity is more likely to be a success if you understand why it is important.