The Youth Environmental Clubs (YEC) of Tripoli organized an event, during which students from four private schools: Al Jinan School, Islah Islamic School, Pere Carmes School, and Dar Az-Zahraa’ School, four public schools: Al Ghoraba High School for Girls, George Sarraf High School, Al Haddadeen High School for Girls, and Andree Nahas High School for Girls, and five universities: Balamand University, Beirut Arab University, Lebanese French University, and the Faculties of Law and Health at the Lebanese University presented their own environmental initiatives ideas to be implemented in their communities. The students from the twelve educational institutions were participants in this joint project, implemented by the organizations: the Lebanese center for Active Citizenship (LCAC), Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA), Utopia and Yours Association, in the North, and funded by the U.S. Embassy Beirut Local Grants Program.
During the students’ competition, participants from the environmental clubs proposed twelve small projects dealing with a variety of environmental problems, such as: sorting from the source, soap creation from burnt oils, a bill limiting the use of nylon bags, green roofs, eco-tourism, promotion of alternative energy, filtering drinking water and expansion of green spaces in schools.
After the presentation, which was attended by a number of civil society organizations and officials, the project’s jury announced the names of the three winning students’ initiatives. Each winning club will be given financial support by the project to implement his/her initiative. At the end of the event, which was held at the Sawary Hotel in Batroun, representatives of LCAC, DPNA, Utopia and Yours, distributed certificates to all participants.
During the next phase of the YEC project, students will organize a youth camp in the North, during which they will come up with an environmental community project, to be implemented in cooperation with the 13 educational institutions.