Sheila Shefo Mbiru
Head of Programmes
First Lady's Mazingira Awards (FLAMA), Office of the First Lady
Session
Green Empowering Schools to Build Green Competencies: Practical Strategies for Environmental Action and Workforce Readiness
Session Abstract
This workshop will showcase the First Ladies MazingiraAward, demonstrate how schools can integrate sustainability into Competency-Based Education (CBE), and inspire educators to prepare learners for careers in environmental conservation, renewable energy, climate resilience, circular economy, and other emerging green sectors.
Speaker Profile
Sheila Shefo Mbiru is a seasoned Knowledge Management practitioner with over three decades of experience championing environmental and climate change education in Kenya and across Africa. She is widely recognized for translating policy into practical action through innovative approaches that use art, storytelling, play, and simulation to make climate education engaging, inclusive, and impactful. She led the multi-stakeholder team that developed Kenya's National Climate Change Learning and Awareness Strategy (2021–2030) and coordinated the country's first Climate Change Curriculum and Training Programme for government officers at the Kenya School of Government, which received international recognition. Appointed a World Climate Ambassadorby Climate Interactive (USA) in 2017, she has facilitated World Climate Simulation workshops for policymakers, educators, media professionals, and youth. In 2018, Sheila spearheaded the inaugural Kenya Climate Change Art and Essay Competition in Nairobi County, engaging over 4,300 learners from 112 schools, including those with special educational needs, and later co-facilitated the first African Feminist Academy for Climate Justice in Ghana. She received the Metis Systems Shaping Award in 2023 for her outstanding contribution to transforming education systems. Since 2023, Sheila has served as Head of the First Lady's Mazingira Awards (FLAMA) at the Voice of Children, Office of the First Lady, where she leads partnerships that empower learners and teachers to champion environmental stewardship and climate action. In 2026, FLAMA gained global recognition at the Skoll World Forum at the University of Oxford after being featured by VVOB and HundrED as one of four exemplary initiatives demonstrating how learner-centred, locally grounded, and globally informed education can drive environmental stewardship and societal change.