Newsletter : 1 September - 30 November 2017 Vol. : 86
Global Handprint Day
Ten years of Handprint was celebrated on November 27, 2017 at Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad. The day was marked by felicitating the efforts of CEE’s handprint programmes in schools of India – Paryavaran Mitra Programme and Eco Schools India Programme.
The Handprint was launched by Centre for Environment Education (CEE) on 27th November, 2007 at UNESCO's 4th International Conference on Environmental Education held at Ahmedabad, India. The concept emerged from one of the CEE's Programmes- Environmental Education in Schools of Andhra Pradesh (EESAP 2000 to 2008). Handprint represents positive actions taken by the people around the globe towards sustainability.
We are marking November 27th to draw attention to the action towards sustainability. A steering group is being announced of experts across the globe constituting of people who are familiar with the concept and have been part of this journey during the first decade since its inception. Prof Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Teacher Education towards Sustainability, York University has accepted to be the chair of the steering group. readmore
Paryavaranmitra Puraskar 2017
Felicitating Exemplars (National Level)
Since 2010, every year the handprint actions of the schools, teachers and students across the country are recognized at national level. The Paryavaran Mitra Puraskar provides a rich platform for schools across the country to share and learn from the hands on experiences in environment education from each other.
On Global Handprint Day, five entries got awarded for their exemplary efforts towards the environment and sustainability.
In all the efforts done by the exemplars, one thing comes out clearly that the initiatives though seems small, but are up and have the potential to scale up. The action projects that the exemplars had undertaken are crucial to the development of critical reflective thinking, understanding complexity by analyzing the issues at hand, systemic thinking on the desired solutions to the situations aroused, decision-making, planning and applying previous learning in new situations and coming up with innovative solutions to approach the issues in a scientific way.
Paryavaran Mitra Puraskar-2016:
Exemplar Schools (National Level)
• Nand Vidya Niketan Essar School, Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• St. Kabir School Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Exemplar Student (National Level)
• Jyoti Purohit Rajikiya Uccha Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Sartara, Sirohi, Rajasthan
• Parag Shewaramani Rachana School, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Exemplar Teacher (National Level)
• Mr. Foran Chand, Govt. High School Dasgrain Distt. Ropar, Punjab.
Eco-Schools Programme Awards
Eco-Schools India is an International Programme for promoting Environment Education and awareness about sustainable development issues in schools, particularly by engaging students from classes 1-5 over a period of 3 years. Eco-Schools India is part of the larger global Eco-Schools programme implemented through the Foundation for Environment Education network in over 68 countries. Nine schools received the awards.
Eco School – International Green Flag Awardees:-
1. Army Public School, Bangalore, Karnataka: Year 2016-19
2. St. John’s Universal, Goregaon, Maharashtra: Year 2015-18
3. Vidya Niketan English Medium School, Pune, Maharashtra: Year 2015-18
4. K.M.V. Red Hills High School, Bangalore, Karnataka: Year 2015-18
5. Vidyaniketan Public School, Bangalore, Karnataka
6. Govt. Lower Primary School, Pura, Kollar, Karnataka
7. Govt. Higher Primary School, Nosagere, Kollar, Karnataka
8. Govt. Higher Primary School, Thoralakki, Kollar, Karnataka
9. Seth Anand Ram Jaipuria, Ghaziabad, Uttar pradesh
Promoting Innovation Amongst Students
In collaboration with Maker Fest Ahmedabad, we had introduced the element of promoting innovation amongst students.
MAKERFEST is a festival of invention, creativity, art and fun. Inspired by–the world-renowned Maker Fest started in 2006 in the United States, Maker Fest Ahmedabad was started in 2014. It is a gathering of technology enthusiasts, crafters, tinkerers, educators, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, artists, painters, students and commercial exhibitors. All of these are “Makers” - and they desire to show to the world what they have made and to share what they have learned along the way. Two orientation workshops for students were conducted on 07th Oct. and 11 Nov. 2017 at CEPT University, Ahmedabad. The orientation focused on giving hands of experience to the various facilities available at the lab to aid the student’s project ideas that they can showcase in the next Maker Fest happening at Ahmedabad in January 2018. Students shared their ideas on projects and learned from others experiences during the discussions.
