At Tirohanga School, we are committed to a long term sustainability journey, where we structure a lot of what we do around the Enviroschools guiding principles. The EnviroSchool kaupapa is about creating a sustainable world through learning and taking action together. Within Enviroschools there are five themes areas, Water, Ecological Building, Zero Waste, Energy, and Living Landscapes. These theme areas rotate in focus from school-based, to local, to national and then to global.

Tamariki/students connect with and explore the environment, then plan, design and take action in their local places in collaboration with their communities.

When our learners carry out each project they follow an Action Learning Cycle (ALC). The Action Learning Cycle encourages student/tamariki participation and critical thinking and is a wonderful tool to support collective learning. It encourages a process of investigation and learning (Identify the Current Situation), exploration and prioritizing (Explore Alternatives), making changes (Take Action) and reflection and celebration (Reflect on Change).