Government of India, Ministry of Education is conducting World Environment Day Activities activities under Eco clubs in all Management schools.
In the face of our planet’s escalating environmental crisis, the role of education becomes pivotal in shaping the future stewards of Earth.
It is within the vibrant classrooms and the curious minds of students that the seeds of environmental consciousness must be sown.
By integrating environmental education into the school curriculum, we not only enlighten young learners about the intricate balance of our ecosystems but also empower them to take actionable steps towards sustainability.
This education is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about fostering a generation that values and actively participates in the preservation of the natural world for the prosperity of all life forms.
The National Education Policy, 2020 emphasizes that certain subjects, skills and capacities should be learned by all students to become good, Successful, innovative, adaptive and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world.
These skills include: environmental awareness including water and resource conservation, sanitation and hygiene.”.
Eco Clubs in schools are an intervention under Samagra Shiksha to enable students to take up meaningful environment- friendly activities and projects,
thereby developing sensitivity and an understanding for the ongoing environmental concerns and the right attitudes and disposition to address them.
They are a forum through which students can reach out to influence each other and engage their parents and neighborhood communities to promote sound environmental behavior.
The idea of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was put forward at COP26 in 2021 and India is since committed to promoting a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation as key to combating climate change.
Mission LiFE is a global movement promoting sustainable lifestyles and mindful use of resources to consene the environment.
As part of activities Of Eco Clubs, it is suggested that summer camps may be organized in schools under your jurisdiction during the upcoming summer vacations on the theme “Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE“.
Telangana School Education is conducting summer camp activities under Eco clubs from 05.06.2024 to 13.062024 (7 days) in all schools of Govt. Local body, URS, KGBV, TSMS and TREIS managements.
Summer camps shall be organized in schools during the summer vacations on the theme “Eco Clubs for Mission LIFE“.
The activities can ideally start on World Environment Day which is celebrated on 5th June every year. The World Environment Day theme for this year is “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience“.
The summer camps can be organized for one week keeping this theme in mind and devoting one day to each of the seven themes of Mission LIFE viz.
A list of suggestive activities based on these themes that can be taken up during these summer camps.
The suggested programmes mentioned here is not meant for this summer camps only but for the entire academic year.
Hence this programmes shall be implemented during the entire year, and convene a convergence meeting with all the line departments such as Panchayat Raj department, Forest Department, Agriculture Department etc. and plan accordingly.
Conduct prior workshops/ hand-holding sessions. The camps can be popularized among school students through poster and painting competitions, debates etc. eminent environmentalists, academics and NGOs working in this field could be associated with the summer camps.
Schools would be requested to carry out the following suggestive activities as per students’ level/grade but not limited to during the summer camps.
The Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE initiative represents a comprehensive effort to instill environmental consciousness and responsible behavior in the younger generation, thereby contributing to a sustainable future.
Eco Clubs aim to engage students in environment-friendly activities and projects, fostering sensitivity and understanding of environmental concerns.
Mission LiFE is a global movement that encourages sustainable lifestyles and mindful resource use to conserve the environment.
The summer camps are scheduled from June 5th to June 13th, 2024.
The theme is “Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.”
Activities include learning about renewable energy, water conservation, tree plantation, and more.
Schools can organize activities related to themes like adopting healthy lifestyles, sustainable food systems, reducing waste, saving energy and water, and saying no to single-use plastic.
Organizing nature walks, conducting plantation drives, and exploring nearby villages are a few suggested activities.
Schools can conduct e-waste collection drives and collaborate with authorized collectors for safe disposal.
Establishing an energy team within the eco-club to ensure electrical appliances are switched off after school hours is one initiative.
Checking for leaks and organizing water conservation rallies are suggested measures.
Conducting plastic audits and finding eco-friendly substitutes are recommended steps.
Yes, metrics like the number of saplings planted, amount of e-waste collected, and reduction in electricity bills are used.
The summer camps are designed to instill environmental awareness and promote sustainable practices among students.
Yes, the suggested programs are intended to be implemented throughout the year.
Schools can plan and collaborate with departments like Panchayat Raj, Forest, and Agriculture.
In the face of our planet’s escalating environmental crisis, the role of education becomes pivotal in shaping the future stewards of Earth.
It is within the vibrant classrooms and the curious minds of students that the seeds of environmental consciousness must be sown.
By integrating environmental education into the school curriculum, we not only enlighten young learners about the intricate balance of our ecosystems but also empower them to take actionable steps towards sustainability.
This education is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about fostering a generation that values and actively participates in the preservation of the natural world for the prosperity of all life forms.
The National Education Policy, 2020 emphasizes that certain subjects, skills and capacities should be learned by all students to become good, Successful, innovative, adaptive and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world.
These skills include: environmental awareness including water and resource conservation, sanitation and hygiene.”.
Eco Clubs
Eco Clubs in schools are an intervention under Samagra Shiksha to enable students to take up meaningful environment- friendly activities and projects,
thereby developing sensitivity and an understanding for the ongoing environmental concerns and the right attitudes and disposition to address them.
They are a forum through which students can reach out to influence each other and engage their parents and neighborhood communities to promote sound environmental behavior.
LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
The idea of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was put forward at COP26 in 2021 and India is since committed to promoting a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation as key to combating climate change.
Mission LiFE
Mission LiFE is a global movement promoting sustainable lifestyles and mindful use of resources to consene the environment.
As part of activities Of Eco Clubs, it is suggested that summer camps may be organized in schools under your jurisdiction during the upcoming summer vacations on the theme “Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE“.
Telangana School Education is conducting summer camp activities under Eco clubs from 05.06.2024 to 13.062024 (7 days) in all schools of Govt. Local body, URS, KGBV, TSMS and TREIS managements.
Eco Clubs for Mission LIFE
Summer camps shall be organized in schools during the summer vacations on the theme “Eco Clubs for Mission LIFE“.
World Environment Day theme
The activities can ideally start on World Environment Day which is celebrated on 5th June every year. The World Environment Day theme for this year is “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience“.
Mission LIFE themes
The summer camps can be organized for one week keeping this theme in mind and devoting one day to each of the seven themes of Mission LIFE viz.
- Adopt Healthy Lifestyle.
- Adopt Sustainable Food Systems.
- Reduce E-WaSte,
- Reduce Waste;
- Save Energy;
- Save Water; and
- Say NO to Single Use Plastic.
List of suggestive activities
A list of suggestive activities based on these themes that can be taken up during these summer camps.
- Learning about renewable energy sources such as solar power;
- sources of water in the local ecosystem,
- testing the purity of water and water conservation;
- tree plantation etc. can be specially emphasized during these camps.
The suggested programmes mentioned here is not meant for this summer camps only but for the entire academic year.
Hence this programmes shall be implemented during the entire year, and convene a convergence meeting with all the line departments such as Panchayat Raj department, Forest Department, Agriculture Department etc. and plan accordingly.
Summer camps
Conduct prior workshops/ hand-holding sessions. The camps can be popularized among school students through poster and painting competitions, debates etc. eminent environmentalists, academics and NGOs working in this field could be associated with the summer camps.
Suggestive activities for Schools
Schools would be requested to carry out the following suggestive activities as per students’ level/grade but not limited to during the summer camps.
1) Theme: Adopt Healthy Lifestyles
- Organize nature walks for students to nearby ecosystems, thereby learning about environmental conservation practices.
- Conduct plantation drives focussing on area specific flora.
- Exploration visits to nearby villages/local tourist destinations.
- The Class can be divided into groups and given tasks eg. exploring and discussing the locations a) ecology, b) history, c) geography, d) customs & traditions e) handicrafts etc.,
- Metric; Number of saplings planted, number Of visits organised.
2) Theme: Adopt Sustainable Food Systems
- Involve students to create, revive and manage kitchen gardens within the school premises.
- If the school does not have the required vacant land. encourage use of old buckets, plastic bottles and earthen pots to grow the plants in any available space.
- Plant climbers to save space.
- Use compost created from the school’s wet waste for the kitchen gardens, thereby avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
- Encourage students to make ecofriendly pesticides using waste eg. bio enzymes for kitchen garden.
- Keep a record of the plants grown on the campus and how much produce is harvested every month. The produce can be used internally for the PM Poshan meals, or distribution among the students and the staff.
- Organise exciting competitions like millet fancy dress to show students lifelong health benefits and environmental advantages Of incorporating these super grains into their diet.
- Encourage students to take the learnings from these initiatives to their homes and replicate them. Metric; Number of kitchen gardens created, amount of organic produce generated(kg)
3) Theme: Reduce E-waste
- Conduct e-waste collection drives for appropriate disposal and reuse of electronic waste.
- Set up e-waste collection point in school to drop off Old electronic gadgets.
- School authorities may collaborate with authorized e-waste collectors for safe disposal of collected items and maintain record Ofthe collected e-waste.
- Schools may set up educational booths to show impact of e-waste on our planet. Metric; amount ole-waste collected and handed over to the authorised dealer (number/kg).
4) Theme: Reduce Waste
- Organise cleanliness drives involving students and the community to inculcate responsibility towards the environment.
- Teach waste segregation for appropriate waste disposal. Install two-bin system in all classrooms – for wet and dry waste.
- If the amount of wet waste generated is not high, a common wet Waste bin can be kept for 3, 4 classrooms.
- Sanitary waste bins can be kept in washrooms for used sanitary napkins, diapers, etc.
- On each dustbin, paste prompts like ‘What Can go in?’ that will help students decide what can go in each bin.
- Construct compost pits in schools to encourage waste segregation and use compost generated in the kitchen garden ofthe school.
- Organise recycled waste art contests in schools to promote 3Rs i.e reduce, reuse and recycling of waste.
- Organise donation drives to donate Old clothes, toys, furniture etc.
- Collected items may be distributed to needy people in the community or handed over to an NGO.
- Organise interaction sessions with the rack pickers/ small junk shop dealers from the nearby locality where students may ask questions regarding where the waste goes, how they segregate waste, how items are re-cycled etc. Mertic; number Ofcompost pits constructed, amount oforganic waste generated.
5) Theme: Save Energy
- Encourage students to carry out energy saving activities like switching Off tube-lights, bulbs, electronic gadgets when not in use.
- Establish energy team within eco-club.
- Energy team to carry out patrolling to ensure all electrical appliances are switched off after school hours.
- Make duty roster of eco-club team members for patrolling.
- Organise knowledge building sessions on renewable sources of energy may be organized in collaboration with NGOs, power departments etc.
- Create posters, banners and other visual materials and paste on the school notice board to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation.
- Invest in solar panels. Metric; reduction in electricity bills in school, units of solar power generated (incase solar panel installed in school)
6) Theme: Save Water
- Involve Students in tabulating water wastage in school.
- Check for leaks in flush systems, faucets and water pipes and report to the eco-club teacher incharge.
- Students along with their teachers can collect water from nearby storage systems and Carry out testswater purity.
- Appropriate arrangements can be made in school labs. Organise water conservation rally along with the community.
- Grandparents of the students may be called in the schools, where they can share water conservation practices adopted in the past and how students can be made more active towards saving water.
- Organise awareness sessions about rainwater harvesting system and its benefits.
- Metric; number ofleaks detected, reduction in water consumption over a week.
7) Theme: Say No to Single Use Plastic
- Take “Say No to Plastic” Pledge – all students and teachers. Organise Plastic audits in the school premises.
- Make a list Of single use plastic items used.
- Find out eco-friendly substitutes eg. steel mugs instead Of styrofoam cups, and reusable water bottles instead of plastic water bottles.
- Generate awareness regarding the hazardous impact of single use plastic on our planet through activities eg. poster making, debates, slogan writing, essay writing etc.
- Put up the best posters on the school notice boards.
- Students may be involved in creating visual displays on school notice boards illustrating the effects of single-use plastic items.
- Awareness campaigns to mobilize the community for adapting ecofriendly habits like the use Of jute bags, saying no to single use plastic, buying local and nature friendly goods and so on.
- Metric; amount Of single use plastic collected, number of plastic water bottles replaced etc.
Conclusion
The Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE initiative represents a comprehensive effort to instill environmental consciousness and responsible behavior in the younger generation, thereby contributing to a sustainable future.
FAQs
What is the purpose of Eco Clubs?
Eco Clubs aim to engage students in environment-friendly activities and projects, fostering sensitivity and understanding of environmental concerns.
What is Mission LiFE?
Mission LiFE is a global movement that encourages sustainable lifestyles and mindful resource use to conserve the environment.
When are the Eco Clubs for Mission LIFE summer camps scheduled?
The summer camps are scheduled from June 5th to June 13th, 2024.
What is the theme for World Environment Day this year?
The theme is “Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.”
Can you list some activities suggested for the summer camps?
Activities include learning about renewable energy, water conservation, tree plantation, and more.
How can schools participate in the Mission LIFE themes?
Schools can organize activities related to themes like adopting healthy lifestyles, sustainable food systems, reducing waste, saving energy and water, and saying no to single-use plastic.
What are some suggested activities for the theme ‘Adopt Healthy Lifestyles’?
Organizing nature walks, conducting plantation drives, and exploring nearby villages are a few suggested activities.
How can schools contribute to reducing e-waste?
Schools can conduct e-waste collection drives and collaborate with authorized collectors for safe disposal.
What initiatives can be taken to save energy in schools?
Establishing an energy team within the eco-club to ensure electrical appliances are switched off after school hours is one initiative.
What measures can be taken to save water in schools?
Checking for leaks and organizing water conservation rallies are suggested measures.
How can schools reduce the use of single-use plastic?
Conducting plastic audits and finding eco-friendly substitutes are recommended steps.
Are there any metrics to measure the success of these activities?
Yes, metrics like the number of saplings planted, amount of e-waste collected, and reduction in electricity bills are used.
What is the significance of the summer camps?
The summer camps are designed to instill environmental awareness and promote sustainable practices among students.
Can these activities be carried out throughout the academic year?
Yes, the suggested programs are intended to be implemented throughout the year.
Who can schools collaborate with for these activities?
Schools can plan and collaborate with departments like Panchayat Raj, Forest, and Agriculture.