Utsunomiya City Promotes Environmental Conservation at Local Kindergartens

Copyright Utsunomiya City

Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, held a ceremony on March 1, 2013, to issue Miya-Eco-En certification to local preschools and kindergartens. Named after the Japanese suffix "en" meaning "-garten" or "school for young children," Miya-Eco-En is the city's initiative to recognize preschools and kindergartens that have carried out significant environmental conservation activities. Certification has been awarded to 52 kindergartens as of FY2012, with 18 kindergartens added to the list in March 2013.

Located in a rich cultural and natural environment, Utsunomiya has implemented the program since FY2009 with the goal of bringing up children with a "mottainai" ethic of taking care of people and things.
After having worked on a project of environmental conservation for about six months, preschools and kindergartens hoping to obtain certification are eligible to turn in an activity report, which is used to judge whether they will be awarded certification. Certification is permanent and has no expiration date.

Specific projects at certified kindergartens are presented in the Miya-Eco-En Handbook, which describes the program in detail, as well as on the city website and at city events. The city has also hosted a working group made up of teachers from local kindergartens and preschools who have been working to develop and promote environmental learning materials for children.

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