Colegio San José participates in Eco-Schools

Edilmari Longo Vega, Ministry Lead of MFEP at Colegio San José, PR, sends us this update.

Colegio San José is proud to participate in Eco-Schools, an international program by the Foundation for Environmental Education. This initiative aims to empower students to be catalysts for the sustainable world we need by engaging them in fun, action-oriented, and socially responsible learning. This year, our Environmental Committee, led by teacher Cynthia Ortiz, assessed our campus's sustainable practices to identify opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint.

Students conducted a series of audits, observing school surroundings and noting current practices. They also conducted a survey to understand the sustainable behaviors of students, teachers, and staff. The survey revealed that most participants are concerned about the amount of waste our school produces. In response, the Environmental Committee partnered with the Recycling Club to address these concerns through an educational campaign promoting the use of recycling bins and encouraging the use of reusable cups and eating utensils.

As part of the campaign, the Recycling Club created a digital ad for the morning news, reminding students to place cans in the recycling bins. Additionally, the club designed signs to remind students to place recyclable items in the appropriate bins instead of trash cans. Members of the Environmental Committee placed these signs above trash cans in the cafeteria and hallways.

On March 2, the class of 2026 collaborated with La Tienda de Jesucristo (Jesus Christ’s Shop), a non-profit organization providing clothing and food for the homeless and elderly. Students and parents collected and donated used clothes at the Plaza de la Juventud (Youth Square) in Caguas.

Estas cosas van en el reciclaje! (Spanish) = These things go in the recycling!