Seven schools across the island have been recognised for their efforts in promoting sustainability education and environmental stewardship.

Harrington Sound Academy, West Pembroke Primary School, Victor Scott Primary School, Warwick Academy, Bermuda High School, Saltus Grammar School and Bermuda College earned the coveted Eco-Schools Green Flag award under an environmental programme administered by the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

The BUEI, which is the programme’s National Operator for the Foundation for Environmental Education, said the seven schools clinched a record as the highest number to attain the award.

It said there was “remarkable growth and achievement” in the programme among schools in the last academic year.

Seventeen participated in the programme which catered for students of all ages, from preschoolers to college, across public and private institutions.

Prospect Preschool and Somerset Primary School achieved gold level certification.

The Berkeley Institute, Francis Patton Primary School and Lyceum Preschool earned silver level, while the Gilbert Institute, Chatmore International School and Paget Primary School reached bronze Level.

Prospect Primary School and CedarBridge Academy took part through a variety of curriculum-based and extracurricular sustainability initiatives.

Though not an Eco-School at this time, the BUEI said Mount Saint Agnes Academy demonstrated environmental education by joining the Young Reporters for the Environment Programme.

The programme is another BUEI and Foundation for Environmental Education scheme empowering students to investigate and report on environmental issues and sustainable solutions.

“At the heart of the Eco-Schools Programme is the mission to empower youth to take action for a sustainable future,” the organisation said.

The BUEI said the student-led projects this year included pollinator gardens, forest regeneration and micro-forest planting, water sustainability and quality audits, seahorse conservation, pollution clean-up exercises, beach plastic art and community efforts such as Keep Bermuda Beautiful’s “Race to Recycle”.

Participants grew food for the Annual Agricultural Exhibition and shared produce with their communities or sold it to fund further environmental education efforts.

The BUEI hailed the return of the Bermuda College’s “Trashion Show” — a creatively recycled fashion event — as well as a student-organised “Green Initiative Week”.

Lessons on life cycles of plants and animals also supported sustainability education across age groups.

The BUEI highlighted the role of community involvement as a “critical role” in programme’s success this year.

It said schools received enthusiastic support from parents as well as local organisations including the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, Bermuda National Trust, KBB, The AgraLiving Institute, Bermuda Education Network and Koom Consulting.

The BUEI thanked supporting partners including Butterfield Bank, the Bermuda Community Foundation, Centennial Foundation, Garden Club of Bermuda, Renaissance Re, Sirius Point and the XL Foundation.

In this academic year, all schools will transition to an online certification platform to track their sustainability work.

The BUEI invited schools across the island — including adult education centres and homeschool networks — to join the movement.

• To learn more about the BUEI’s environmental education programmes, visitwww.buei.bm