The First Step Towards a Cleaner and Greener School

Thongdam Vongintee has big hopes for his school.

As the principal of Somsouk Primary School in Sanamxay district of Laos’ southernmost province of Attapeu,  Thongdam wants to see his school thrive as a greener and cleaner place of learning, a model that other schools can aspire to.

This vision eventually led him and Somsouk Primary School to become involved in trialing the ‘green school’ concept, where students learn about environmental issues and promote sustainable practices within their schools and communities. Green Schools are schools that create clean, healthy and green surroundings by saving energy, conserving environmental resources and reducing costs. This idea all began when Felix, a member of a popular Korean boy band, Stray Kids, visited Laos back in 2024.

After visiting two schools in Laos, Felix thought back to his childhood experience attending a school that was environmentally conscious, where children learned to make their school and the planet a better place for all. Inspired by this, Felix wondered if the concept can be brought to life in Laos.

Now thanks to Felix’s support, teachers like Thongdam and the students in Somsouk Primary School, alongside four other schools, are now actively part of the programme to pilot green schools in Attapeu province of Lao PDR. 

Thongdam thought back to the training he received on green schools in late November 2024 where representatives from the different schools decided on a few activities they could do to improve their school environment and the support needed to kick-start them. After the training was completed, Thongdam immediately set to working with his teachers and students to implement the activities.

In addition to promoting daily hygiene practices at school, Thongdam wanted children to learn eco-friendly practices, such as collecting and separating waste and keeping the school grounds clean. 

“We also wanted a greenhouse with a strong structure that would allow us to grow vegetables for school lunch. Before, we had a vegetable garden but it was difficult to grow things because there was no fence to keep animals out,” explained Thongdam.

To make the school clean and green, 15 students were selected from grades three, four, and five to lead their peers in the efforts to turn Somsouk Primary School into a green school. Outside of the teachers’ room, these student’s names were written on the school board to acknowledge their important role. This includes leading hygiene activities and ensure that all students are washing their hands with soap, using the toilets properly and keeping them clean. These students are also encouraging their peers to stop littering, separate waste and keep the school grounds clean. In addition, during extracurricular hours, the children work with their peers to plant and water vegetables in the greenhouse.

“Our student champions are very active. At times, it can be challenging for them to lead the activities, as some children would prefer to play sports and games. However, the student champions don’t give up and keep encouraging their peers to participate in the activities,” said Thongdam.

In the classroom, the teachers are also urging children to engage with the young student champions to improve the school environment. To help with the school’s activities, the project has provided water bottles for the children in the target schools. In addition to colored garbage bins for waste separation, a greenhouse was built and gardening tools and seeds were provided for growing vegetables for school meals.

It has been less than three months since the school started the pilot programme. While it has made small steps in the right direction, the school acknowledges there is still so much to do if they want to become a green school. But for now, the teachers and students are happy with the progress made and the support they received.

When asked what they wanted to say to Felix, one student replied “thank you” and another added “stay healthy.”