FOR three years, Marsiling Secondary School students have been brainstorming ways to save the environment.

As part of their Environment Education module, a non-examinable subject, lower secondary students have proposed air-purifying models, suggestions for greener buildings and water-recycling methods.

While these projects often showcase the students' in-depth thinking skills and creativity, the school has never formally recognised their efforts.

This will change with a $80,000 environment education fund presented by technology multinational company Hitachi to the school, in line with the firm's Eco Conference, held for the first time here yesterday.

The fund will go towards three key areas, one of which is rewarding students who have excelled in environment-related projects. Awards will be in the form of book vouchers and educational material.

The fund, which will be used over three years, will also go towards training teachers to keep up to date on environmental issues, and also towards creating learning packages and teaching resources in areas such as waste management and water technology.

The school has been a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Education in North 5 school cluster since 2007.

In the Environment Education module, students spend two hours a week thinking of innovative ways to solve air and water pollution problems that Singapore faces.

At the end of 15 weeks, the students form groups and propose projects to combat these environmental problems.

The guest of honour at the launch of the fund was Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

'The world is heading for an 'ecological credit crunch' far worse than the current financial crisis because people are over-using natural resources,' he said, quoting a recent study by the World Wildlife Fund.

In the light of Hitachi's efforts to become greener, Dr Yaacob urged other companies to continue working towards being environmentally friendly, even during the current harsh economic climate.

JALELAH ABU BAKER

This article was first published in The Straits Times.