On Friday, 27th March 2026, the Green Pulse Collective—a team of graduate students from the UG Department of Communication Studies executed “The Eco-Guardian Project.” The campaign moved environmentalism out of the textbook and into the hands of Primary 5 and 6 students at the University Basic School.
The event featured interactive sessions on waste management and practical plant maintenance workshops. The highlight was a synchronized tree-planting ceremony, where eight class streams planted indigenous trees across the school premises. Through a “One Stream, One Tree” adoption model, students assumed direct responsibility for their saplings’ long-term growth.
To support this mission, the Green Pulse Collective team distributed essential sanitation and gardening tools, including watering cans, dustbins, and brooms, to ensure the sustained maintenance of the new green space.
Speaking on the vision behind the project, Jacqueline Johnson Quaye, Comms Lead for the Green Pulse Collective said;
“Our focus as a group was not to just teach children about nature; we wanted to empower them to be its primary defenders. We didn’t want to leave behind just a few plastic bins that might be forgotten in a year. Our goal was to plant a mindset to ensure these kids feel that the environment isn’t just something they live in—it’s something they own and protect.”
The school’s leadership hailed the project as a timely intervention that aligns with the institution’s goals. The Headmistress of University Basic School, Mrs Eunice Mensah noted;
“Watching our pupils get sashed as Eco-Guardians was a proud moment for my administration,” she remarked. “It is one thing to teach science in a classroom, but it is quite another to see our children actively planting and vowing to protect their campus. This partnership with the University’s graduate students has given our students a practical sense of civic duty that will stay with them for life.”
To ensure the project’s longevity, the Green Pulse Collective facilitated the election of 16 student ambassadors who will lead their classes in the maintenance of their trees. These students, identified by their official green-and-teal sashes, will conduct weekly environmental audits of the school grounds.
One of the newly elected ambassadors, a Class 6 student, shared her excitement about her new responsibility.
“Being an Eco-Guardian means I am now a leader for the earth. When we planted our tree today, we promised to make sure it grows big and strong. If we can take care of our school’s trees, we can take care of Ghana’s future. I am proud that my stream has a living legacy to protect.”
The Eco-Guardian Project was organized with support from Physical Development & Municipal Services Directorate of UG, University Basic School, Climate Sociologist, Radio Univers and JoyPrime.