Sustainability Education in Schools

“Understanding My Water”

2013

Final Report

An initiative of Centre for Environment Education in partnership with Ministry of Environment and Forests and ArcelorMittal India.

An initiative of WIPRO Ltd.

1

Background Deriving from the MoU dated 10th July between Wipro and CEE to collaborate on the agenda of environment education and sustainability education across schools and colleges, Wipro and CEE joined hands to work together through the ‘earthian’ initiative of WIPRO and Paryavaran Mitra an initiative of CEE in partnership with Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India and ArcelorMittal, India. The partnership involved the schools in Paryavaran Mitra network particularly the government schools with Hindi as the medium of instruction on the issue/theme of water. The partnership focused on the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. The deliverables agreed as part of the partnership were as follows:-

1. Postage of earthian material to 6000 schools in the Paryavaran Mitra network in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan

2. Training of 500 teachers from selected schools from these states to facilitate school projects/activities on water in their schools.

3. Submission of 200 entries from schools in the above states, primarily from government schools.

2

Implementation Strategy The strategy was to use the existing network and partnerships of the Paryavaran Mitra programme in the identified states. CEE helped in translation and adaptation of the material (Booklet and Brochure) in Hindi and also created a page on www.paryavaranmitra.in along with sharing the information through newsletters. The strategy differed in the states as Paryavaran Mitra programme has organically evolved on the projects/programme of CEE in last 30 years in different parts of country. The meeting was held of all the CEE state offices involved in the project at Lucknow which also coordinates CEE programmes in northern region to discuss and understand the school level activity and agree on the time line and state specific targets. Briefly the strategy adopted in different states was as follows:- Uttar Pradesh (UP):- The strategy adopted was to use the existing network of schools which included the schools in UP working under Children's Forest Programme, Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme and by involving CEE's partner organizations who have worked with schools in implementing Paryavaran Mitra programme in various districts of the state. Other networks such as District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhalaya (KGBV) were also utilized. Media Partnership with DLA that has readership of about 3 lakh was also utilized to disseminate 'earthian' initiative in western districts of the state. Chattisgarh (CG):- A three fold strategy was adopted by involving National Green Corps (NGC) Master Trainers to identify to draw up a list of active schools, announcement and dissemination about the programme through district Education offices, teachers training and personal visits to the schools, announcing the programme and taking their enrollment. In Chhattisgarh due to Assembly elections post Dusshera and Diwali vacations most of the teachers were on election training and this became a major challenge. Rajasthan: The schools involved with CEE in activities for Paryavaran Mitra programme were mainly trageted. This existing network was utilized by CEE Jaipur in partnership with Rajasthan State Bharat Scouts and Guides (RSBSG) as the nodal agency for implementation of activities at school level. For capacity building of selected teachers, six districts were short listed in consultation with RSBSG. CEE team also used print media for circulation of information. An article was published in Scout Guide Jyoti, newsletter of RSBSG with information about the opportunity. Other activities under National Green Corps and Paryavaran Mitra programme like trainings, events and meetings of district implementation and monitoring committee were also utilized to share the information.

Madhya Pradesh: - CEE Madhya Pradesh mainly involved the network of active school and NGO partners for the earthian programme. Teacher training workshop were held in 5

3

districts - Bhopal, Sehore, Hosangabad, Ujjain and Vidisha. The Master Trainer’s workshops organized by EPCO held at Bhopal on 30th Sept. and 1st Oct.2013 were also used to disseminate and orient them on earthian. Bihar: - The strategy adopted in Bihar was to work with CEE's existing network of schools which included Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme and NGC Programme. Some active NGC Master Trainers provided their support in guiding select schools to implement the programme. As over the years, CEE North has developed a good network of civil Society groups actively working with schools, this network was also utilized to take the programme to large number of schools in Selected districts.

4

Achievements Although the set targets were achieved, delay in dissemination of material and election in 3 States, getting the schools to conduct all the mandated activities became a big challenge. The summary of the achievement of the set deliverables are as follows:- Activity Target

set Achieved

UP MP Raj CG Bihar Total Dispatch of packets to schools

6000 2050 1280 1950 825 1200 7305

Teacher training 500 272 83 247 43 172 817Contact over e mail/phone and other means

0 45 10 60 360 30 505*

Entries/submissions 200 54 103 58 4 30 249* The website page was also created in Hindi and the information was also shared. In UP a full page article was created on the theme in DLA newspaper with a readership over 3 lakh. The information was also included in the e newsletter of Paryavaran Mitra that has an outreach of about 7000 people across the globe.

5

Key learnings and suggestions Based on the feedback received from the CEE team, NGO partners and schools the learnings and suggestions are as follows:-

• Dispatching packets did not show positive results or response in forms of reports as methodology of project based learnings (PBL) needs capacity building. A common feedback was that the teachers barely understood the process but many of them were confident that they will be able to participate next year.

• PBL is a new pedagogical approach for most of the participants. Teachers need training to overcome their limited understanding of model/files etc as project and to implement them. We need to use such exercises during the training programme that helps them in selection of project and documentation of activities.

• Teacher training followed by telephonic follow-ups of CEEs existing network schools helps as the activities requires motivation and reinforcement.

• Follow-up visits and orientations helped in some schools to help them understand the methodology of project based learning. Training followed by visit to schools gives high chances of schools completing all the tasks.

• The activities require 3 to 4 months to complete and this was a major constrain this year. It was difficult for schools to work in an intensive project mode. Teachers and schools find it much easier to organize a daylong event, instead of implementing a project over a stretch.

• Initiatives like ‘earthian’ are purely teacher driven. If the teacher is very positive and has a holistic approach, then the findings and the final report comes out extremely well.

• Interaction with selected students/earthian team gives more positive out-comes. It has to be taken as an intensive work with schools.

• A certificate for the group members and teacher in-charge in this round will ensure more results in later stages.

• With the quality of reports received- private schools have put in more efforts and resources in comparison to Govt. Schools. However some govt. schools have done excellent reports which shows that these schools are also coming up in a big way.

• Exchange programme amongst the best chosen schools will help make them understand the methodology better.

• Resource book in Hindi language helped a lot but a critical review would help to adapt it to the level of teachers in government schools.

o Only very active teachers took initiative and did all the mandatory tasks. Schools found Part B much easier, but they did not stick to the earthian guidelines and made generic essays. Teachers reported that material sent to them (brochure) is not so clear especially about part B.

o Part A- activity 2 which involved 'rain water endowment' was challenging for schools and many schools skip this, as a result their reports were straightway rejected.

6

o Let's not make all the tasks mandatory. We give a suggestive list and let the schools choose what they want to do, however we can keep 'n' number of tasks to be compulsorily done.

o In future, the tasks should also involve some components of school-community dialogue.

o For teachers who have not participated in the trainings, there is need to of more user friendly material. Some good reports can be shared as examples in the resource material.

• Appreciations for all the participants even if they do not fall in award category is required.

• Use of young leaders for change movie was effective in introducing action projects and relating their linkage with real life problems. It also helped in discussion about the constraints in carrying out projects in rural/urban and govt. /private schools and project links with community.

• Sharing of exemplar reports from Paryavaran Mitra programme followed by discussion was helpful.

• School has an opportunity to interact with different Govt. and Non-government organisation to discuss on water issues. Some of the schools did their water sample testing at labs at school and PHED labs. There is an opportunity to involve more stakeholders in the programme.

• The best thing teachers liked about the project was that students are involved and are given a task and have opportunity to relate the water related issue in a larger arena and not just their school premises.

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

CEE Centre for Environment Education

Nehru Foundation For Development Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad

Gujarat 380054 E mail: cee@ceeindia.org and paryavaranmitra@ceeindia.org

Phone: +9179 26858003 Fax: +9179 26858010

Website: www.ceeindia.org, www.paryavaranmitra.in

Increase your Handprint! Decrease your Footprint!