Actions towards sustainability

www.paryavaranmitra.in

Education Programme for School Childrenon

Sustainability and Climate Change2008 - 2013

Till date over 160 partnerships have been achieved with convergence and synergies with

major school-based initiatives – National Green Corps, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya

Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan etc.

State PollutionControl Boards/Committies

Nodal Agencies for NGC

Partnerships

Government

Department of EducationSarva Shiksha Abhiyan

in various states

Department of Science and Technology, Autonomous Institutions, Non Government Organization and Academic Institutions

53

Others 33

NGOs 79

Government of Goa DST&E

Andhra Pradesh: Produce from the kitchen garden developed by students helps to enrich the midday meal.

Maharashtra: Eco friendly celebration of festivals practiced by students of a school.

Sikkim: Segregation of waste being practiced by students.

Assam: Students have regular Bihu dance classes which help in connecting local cultural practices to nature.

Tamil Nadu: Cycling to school - Energy conservation initiatives of a school.

West Bengal: Students maintain a solar cum wind hybrid system set up with the help of a government scheme.

Gujarat: Students create a system for channelization of waste water from the drinking area to the school garden.

Jammu & Kashmir: Students make fences for the protection of saplings planted by them.

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2,00,000 schools across 646 districts of India

Students in classes 6 - 8

15 languages

Themes linked to curriculum

All the resource materials are trans-adapted in 15 languages at the state level.

The Pick Right/Kaun Banega Bharat Ka Paryavaran Ambassador (KBPA) campaign reached 200,000 schools across India, in 2008-09. It aimed at spreading basic awareness on Climate Change, and making suitable choices towards sustainability.

The slogan Pick Right was

adapted from the UNEP-WED theme

Kick The Habit to reflect the

Indian context

CO2

CO 2

Water and

Sanitation

Energy Biodiversity

and Greening

Waste

Management

Culture

and Heritage

The Paryavaran Mitra Programme builds on the Pick Right/Kaun Banega Bharat Ka Paryavaran Ambassador (KBPA)Campaign of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

KBPA was launched on 5 June 2008 by Her Excellency The President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Students from 70,000 Schools across the country voted, and selected Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam as the Paryavaran Ambassador.

The Paryavaran Mitra Programme was launched on 24 July 2010 by Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Dr M.S. Swaminathan

The Programme

Paryavaran Mitra (Friends of Environment) builds on KBPA campaign and is a nationwide initiative to create a network of 20 million young green leaders, from schools across the country, having awareness, knowledge, commitment and potential to meet the challenges of environmental sustainability at their spheres of influence.

A ‘Paryavaran Mitra’ is a student who demonstrates environmental citizenship qualities through positive change in behaviour and action at individual, school, family and community levels.

Objectives

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l To prepare students to remain in society as environmentally responsible citizens.

l To build skills and understanding amongst students on environmental sustainability through hands-on experience in their immediate environment.

l To raise awareness and understanding of the issues relating to environmental sustainability amongst teachers/educators/NGOs, and to enable them to facilitate students to be a Paryavaran Mitra.

l To provide schools with access to theme-based, customized material on sustainability education.

l To create networks and platforms for sharing of knowledge and experiences.

l To develop and reinforce partnerships for maximization of impacts.

Themes

To inculcate required attitude and values towards environmental sustainability.

Resource Materials

Paryavaran Mitra Kit containing

basic awareness material.

Themes Poster Oath Poster

‘Explore, Discover, Think, Act,' a menu of

51 action ideas under the five themes.

The Paryavaran Mitra Teacher’s

Handbook - projects linked to

classroom teaching.

Programme Strategies

1. Linking resource materials with curriculum for infusing and integrating Environmental Education.

2. Aligning to national policies like Right to Education, Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation and Project Based Learning for Environmental Education.

3. Focusing on positive actions related to the themes, within the school and community.

4. Contextualizing the themes to local issues and programmes.

5. Aligning with international processes – The Earth Charter, Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, UNEP TUNZA, RIO + 20 (UNCSD) and UNCBD.

6. Offering rewards and recognition for creating aspiration, and motivating schools to share and learn.

7. Creating Lead Schools, which take the initiative and demonstrate the capacity to guide other schools.

8. Optimizing synergies with key programmes and institutions. Partnerships with the National Green Corps programme of MoEF, with State Education Departments help to spread the reach and enhance quality.

9. Building on a variety of partnerships - from UN agencies, to grassroots organizations, and creating a dynamic network.