How to Cultivate Environmental Awareness in Schools?

The environment around us needs to be preserved. If we take care of nature, then it can provide us with everything that we need. But, the price of neglecting nature is also substantially high.

Lately, we have encountered many situations where we have to face nature’s fury such as drought, excessive rainfall, forest fires, etc.

The excessive exploitation of natural resources and unrestrained pollution has been causing uncontrolled environmental damage.

Hence, it is of utmost importance that we include ‘environmental awareness’ as a topic or subject in the curriculum. Right from the preschool years, children should know about how to preserve nature.

If we are successfully able to make children understand the importance of the preservation of the environment from a very young age, then they will be carefully re-evaluating every decision they are going to make.

These young people will also be able to correct elders if they see something harmful being done to the environment.

In the time where environmental concerns are rising, education seems to be the primary key that is responsible for bringing consciousness to citizens about the importance of the environment.

When we talk about education, schools are the centre from where the younger generation can get education about the necessity of saving our environment and learn the methods to eliminate the issues harming this green layer of nature.

In this blog, we shall be talking about the strategies and initiatives that can be implemented to raise environmentally aware young people .

Environmental Awareness Activities

To save our planet, it is very important to spread environmental awareness among the people in order to build a sense of responsibility within them.

And what else could be a better place than school to build the minds of children and make them understand environmentally sensitive ideals. Here, we have a list of some relevant methods to raise the consciousness-  

Volunteer

Volunteering is the one finest way to introduce kids to real-world issues related to the environment. Students can take part in projects like tree planting, beach clean-ups, community garden, etc by sharing hands with local environment organisations or different recognized groups. 

By taking part in such activities, they don’t just understand the problems affecting nature but also feel a responsibility to take care of the environment. 

Science Projects

While assigning the science projects for kids , if teachers integrate the environment theme to the projects, it can surely be both meaningful and impactful.

Teachers should design projects that talk about local ecosystems, climate change, or sustainable energy solutions. For example- students can try some experiments to find how pollution resists the plant growth or know about renewable energy sources.

These hands-on projects help students to understand the issues affecting the environment and also nurture their problem solving and analytical skills . 

Use Social Media

Leveraging social media is one the easiest and most effective way where schools can connect with tech-savvy students and encourage environmental awareness.

Schools can make their account on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and share information & updates to foster discussion.

Encourage  your students to be active on social media and take part in these online communities, share eco-friendly tips, articles, and their own experiences of conserving the environment. 

Create Digital Content

In this digital world, content that conveys a message attracts the audience most. Schools can use digital platforms and upload videos, presentations, and infographics that will ultimately help the followers, i.e. students, to know precisely about the methods to save the environment.

They can sometimes collaborate with teachers, students, experts, and moreover to make the content engaging. Thus, through digital content, they will learn and share with others they know. 

Design Posters

One of the effective approaches to communicate visually with your students for environment awareness is through making compelling posters.

Students can take part in making posters and through them they can highlight environmental issues like pollution, deforestation, and climate change. These posters work as an impactful tool to promote awareness within the school environment.

Use vibrant colours and show creativity in the poster to grab the attention of viewers. Hang those pictures in such an area of the school where it gets the high attention/visibility and thus impact.

This not only improves their artistic skills but also shows what concerns they see for the environment and how they are looking to solve it. 

Write Blogs

Blogging is one of the impactful platforms for students to share their thoughts and ideas regarding environment issues.

Schools need to create a space on their official website where students can publish their research findings, opinions, thoughts, reflections on topics matching with the environment.

Ask your students to gather information as much as they can, be it from local environment initiative to global challenges. This will not just make their writing skills incredibly good but also widen their thinking level. 

Conduct Surveys

Involve everyone in this learning by conducting a survey to find out who knows how much about the methods to keep the environment safe at school. 

Make questions related to knowing who is aware of eco-friendly things, how they feel about saving nature and whether we are altogether to do things to save our planet Earth.

When you have the collective answers, you’ll get to know what you need to work on to make things better.

This way of doing work is not just about learning things & safeguarding the environment but also builds a collaborative nature in students and makes the school better of the environment. 

Help Younger Students

Anything that emerged bigger at last has a strong foundation. Similarly, if you engage younger students in skill-based education they will learn it quickly and will encourage others to take part in this.

Introducing eco-friendly projects, interactive lessons, nature walks can make learning about the environment both enjoyable and educational. This will develop curiosity among them about the environment and build a forever connection between nature and the student.

Adopt Sustainable Lifestyle 

Last but not least, motivate students to follow eco-friendly practices in their day-to-day life. Make them learn about concepts of waste reduction, energy conservation, and responsible consumption.

Ask them to implement steps like clean-up projects, waste segregation, compositing because when they participate in such sustainable practices, they learn valuable life skills as well as contribute their role in creating a safe and clean environment. 

Spreading Environmental Awareness Through Virtual Schooling

A lot of online schools in India encourage children to be very close to nature.

For example, as an instructor, you can ask children to check out different plant leaves and observe their shapes, sizes, colours, etc. This way, children will be able to understand how plants are uniquely different from each other.

Another example is that you can ask children to create posters about the concept of ‘recycling’ and increase general awareness about the significance of reusing, recycling and reducing different materials.

Here are a few ways to generate environmental awareness amongst students in a virtual school in India:

1. Create an Environmental Club

You can ask your students to create an environmental club and conduct activities that will represent the preservation of the environment.

These activities can include creating a recycling system for their own homes and planting a tree that will provide them with organic and fresh vegetables or fruits. Planting trees at home can also help in reducing the level of CO2 in the atmosphere.

2. Conduct a Periodic Cleanliness Drive

As an instructor, you can ask your students to create a local group with other children in the vicinity to make sure that their neighbourhood is litter free and clean.

They can also perform a group cleanliness drive fortnightly or monthly. This way, children will learn and become responsible to clean their places and neighbourhood.

3. Keep the Topic of Environmental Awareness in the Curriculum

Through virtual schooling, children can begin learning about the subject of environmental preservation and its importance from a very young age.

For example, while teaching students about water, teachers can discuss the ongoing scarcity of water in the world. You can also ask them to find out ways they can preserve water or any innovative way to keep water bodies (lakes, rivers, ponds) clean.

4. Make Students Learn about Renewable Energy

You can teach students about the sustainable environment and renewable energy that is currently going through a massive development stage.

For example, you can teach them how to harness and use solar energy with the help of solar panels, solar cookers, etc. According to students’ standards, you can teach them how they can save electricity by installing solar panels in their homes.

5. Initiate ‘Adopt a Plant’ Campaign

Encourage students to adopt at least one plant in their homes. The plant can be of any type. But, as an instructor, you can ask them to take care of the plant every day with the assistance of their parents, elders, or even a gardener.

Final Thoughts

If you want your child to learn about environmental awareness through online schooling in India, then you should enrol them in 21K School .

This online virtual school has embedded environmental awareness in its curriculum along with many other practical subjects that will raise awareness amongst young minds and enhance their thinking and analytical skills. 

By taking such conscious steps to foster environment awareness as a student, you can make the world a  better place to live and create a sustainable future for many generations to come.

It says, penny penny makes many, just like that your small action today can make a big difference and reshape the tomorrow. Join the movement towards a greener and more sustainable world.