#Goinggreen with Stamford American International School: Beyond Cultivating Greener Pastures

SINGAPORE,June 10,2021 -- The 2020 Rare Tree Project by the Stamford American International School (SAIS) students continues into its second year on a mission to create green space on campus and promote biodiversity and ecological sustainability in the cityscape.

Students of Stamford American International School carrying out #goinggreen initiatives on campus grounds

The project,initially starting with planting rare tree species,has grown beyond planting trees. The Grade 10 OIKOS group and Grade 9 Rare Tree Guardians,thestudents leading the ecological program,have been working hard to plan wide-ranging activities to explore nature,learn about horticulture and urban farming,and develop an understanding of environmental literacy within and beyond campus.

The students have since developed a Rooftop Garden and Nursery - designing,planting,and harvesting an edible landscape of vegetables,herbs and fruits in commemoration of Earth Day. The campus has also seen aninstallation of parkway modules,a modular,urban gardening structure aimed to increase thesustainability of urban spaces based on a research conducted to identify the most conducive conditions and locations.

The team have also joined with Singapore Botanic Gardens Rare Tree Forest program to plant 50 new species of rare trees,including companion plants,while learning about agricultural conditions from soil mixing to temperature and humidity testing and plant maintenancein different environments.

"Whileimproving my ecological literacy,I have gained valuable experiences in working collaboratively with others to reach a common goal. I hope that SAIS continues the projects for years to come so that we can all come back in the future and see the progress the school has made," said Daniel Athaide,Grade 10 OIKOS member and Global Social Leader (GSL) team leader of the #goinggreen project.

#Goinggreen with SAIS

The initiative,focusing on sustainability and environmental stewardship,is an essential part of the educational journey at SAIS. Students are encouraged to take part in green initiatives,allowing them to reflect on their impact on the world and address the sustainable needs of the environment."We want to foster a variety of opportunities for the students to explore and develop personal interests in sustainability. By participating in green and ecological initiatives such as the Rare Tree Project,students will be able to develop problem-solving,creative,and critical thinking skills in taking care of our environment,driving positive change at their school,and in turn,their communities," said Rhonda Wiens,High School Middle Years Programme Coordinator of SAIS.The students are looking to bring more green initiatives to fruition for the remainder of the year; growing vertical gardens,self-contained green walls well-suited to provide expanses of greenery in urban areas,and developing a system of hydroponics.About Stamford American International SchoolStamford American International Singapore offers outstanding education for students from 2 months to 18 years of age. In addition,SAIS provides the unique opportunity to graduate with a US-accredited High School Diploma derived from a choice between the College Board's Advanced Placement International Diploma (AP ID) courses,the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB DP),a blend of both,or the BTEC Diploma - a first in Singapore.For more information,please visitwww.sais.edu.sg/welcome.