Integrating sustainability into teaching practices

Meet Neil Henderson, a nominee for The Earth Prize 2024 Educator of the Year award. Neil is a dedicated Design and Technology teacher at Seoul Foreign School in South Korea, where he also serves as the CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) coordinator.

His journey as a teacher started 25 years ago when he visited his parents after completing university and someone mentioned a job opportunity at a local school working with young people with special needs. In an interview with us, Neil remembers:

“I accepted the job without hesitation. Since then, I have never looked back. Rather than stepping into a teaching role, I began my journey as a special needs assistant, working with individuals with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and ADD within a dedicated 'special needs' department.”

and coordinates the CAS program. He has also taught physics and PSHE (Personal, Social, and Health Education). Reflecting on his diverse teaching roles, he said,

“At one point, I worked as a youth worker, focusing on topics essential for life outside academics, such as communication skills, financial literacy, and understanding taxes. These are crucial aspects that students need to learn to navigate the real world.”

Neil first learned about The Earth Prize competition after joining Seoul Foreign School, where students approached him for supervision. When asked how The Earth Prize has influenced his work, Neil explained:

“As a design teacher, sustainability is a key topic I teach. We cover sustainability, recycling, and upcycling in specific subjects. For instance, one project involves promoting sustainability within the school through a digital project. Students create projects where they upcycle and recycle materials, strictly avoiding new purchases. It's quite enjoyable to see them scouring the school for materials. They always manage to find a good audience or client for their projects. We even recycle old projects rather than letting them go to waste. This approach was non-existent before my tenure at the school. I advocated for it, seeing it as a way to address waste and instigate change. It's become somewhat of a socio-economic issue. Parents initially might not like the idea of their children using waste materials, but when they see the final products, they're often amazed. We've made chairs, clothes, tables, and some students even design their own electric transducer shoes. We also conduct workshops for parents on this topic.”

Thank you, Neil, for sharing your inspiring story with us. Read the full story here: https://www.theearthprize.org/2024-educator/neil-henderson