ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY AS TOOLS FOR THE AWARENESS OF SOLID WASTE IN EVERYDAY SCHOOL LIFE

Abstract

This work deals with the experience of Environmental Education (EA) at cef Sargento Lima Public School, in Santa Maria-DF. It was developed in order to involve the school community in environmental issues, related to inadequate disposal of solid waste. It aims to present and discuss the problem of solid waste, recycling and selective collection, as well as the benefits of treatment technologies and reduction of the amount of waste grounded in the environment. It aims to implement AE and Sustainability practices in the school through a project. Thirty questionnaires were applied to students of the 5th and 6th grades of elementary school, before the realization of a trail, with emphasis on the observation of solid waste. The results show a greater awareness of environmental issues, solid waste and a significant expansion of the knowledge of ecology after the ecological trail that provided a greater understanding of environmental perception contributing to the construction of citizenship. At the end of the activities, it was verified that the participating students became more aware about the environmental problems of the school region and motivated to act in the community for the environment, proposing appropriate actions to solve problems of waste related to environmental preservation.