Nissan is providing eco-friendly education to students through a program hosted by the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson.
The automobile manufacturing giant launched the Nissan Eco School at the museum this week. The initiative is an after-school event for second and third-grade students from Jackson Public Schools and is supported by three employees from Nissan’s Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant, each of whom leads a hands-on course.
The approximately 90-minute program includes lessons on water, recycling, and energy conservation, including a take-home workbook. Nissan’s Eco School program was inspired by a global initiative called “Waku Waku,” meaning “joy” in Japanese, which has brought educational programming focused on sustainability to pupils in Japan since 2008.
“Nissan Eco School brings Nissan’s successful ‘Waku Waku Eco School’ green educational programming to the North American market, and we’re excited to expand Eco School to other locations across the region,” Parul Bajaj with Nissan North America said. “As proud members of the Mississippi community, our Canton team is honored to bring Nissan’s commitment to environmental responsibility to life for local students through fun, practical lessons about conservation and recycling.”
The pilot program is timed to provide green-focused lessons to students ahead of Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, and encourages participants to take part in the annual grassroots environmental movement. Students at the Nissan Eco School were urged to build a blanket fort, shut off the lights, and read by flashlight from 8:30 until 9:30 p.m. for this year’s Earth Hour celebration.
“Nissan has been a longstanding and valued partner of the Mississippi Children’s Museum, helping bring science, technology, engineering, and math to life for children across our state,” Mississippi Children’s Museum President and CEO Susan Garrard said. “The Nissan Eco School program is another powerful example of that commitment — connecting hands-on learning with real-world skills and helping prepare Mississippi’s future workforce. Our team is excited to host this impactful program and welcome the participating students.”