Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Model Higher Primary School at Moodambailu in Bantwal taluk is one among the 20 schools selected in the country and only one school in Karnataka for the Wipro Earthian Award. The annual awards recognise excellence in sustainability in education in schools and colleges in India.
Under the project, the teams from schools demonstrated their understanding of biodiversity, waste and water through a combination of activity-based learning programmes and essays.
“We chose the theme of sustainability and waste management for our project and carried out various activities related to it in the school. Further, the video of the activities was uploaded via YouTube. The activities were carried out through the Eco Club of the school,” said Headmaster Aravinda Kudla to DH.
As a part of the project, the students were made to carry out activities under the theme ‘My Garbage My Responsibility.’
Accordingly, the school took up the activities on making floor mats using old sarees, old and unused pens were converted into pen stands and vases, old pants were used for preparing multi-purpose bags, plastic was used for preparing eco-bricks, blouse pieces for preparing garlands, small pieces of unwanted clothes for preparing dusters. The biodegradable products were collected by the students and were recycled. In addition e-waste was also collected. Bio enzymes were prepared. The old papers were recycled and used for pamphlets to create awareness on segregation of waste among the neighbourhood, explained Aravind.
The pamphlets were written by the students and were distributed near their houses, post offices and shops to create awareness. The students also carried out a jatha with a slogan ‘Hasi Kasa Ona Kasa Vingadisi, Bhoodevi Samrakshisi’ (segregate dry and wet waste, to save mother earth).
After the awareness was created, the students from the school have also set aside three separate bags for collecting dry waste, wet waste and hazardous waste in their houses. In addition, a play to spread a message on segregation of waste at source was staged by the students and the video was uploaded on YouTube, said the Headmaster.
“The school plans to stage the play in other schools in the village to share the knowledge on waste segregation after the Covid-19 cases reduce,” he said.
The students have also expressed their understanding of the theme through drawings, writing stories and poems as well.
According to teachers, the learning activities through the projects have helped the students to learn and also improve their learning ability. They have shunned their inhibition and are active in the classrooms.
Akash, Karthik, Pranam, Preetham of Class 8, Adithya of Class 7, Nithesh of Class six, along with teachers Shruthi N and Aravinda Kudla, prepared the project. “In fact, we submitted the project in Kannada,” said Aravinda Kudla proudly. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000.
Shortlisted
In fact, St Joseph’s PU College at Bajpe in Dakshina Kannada was also shortlisted among the 40 schools for the award. The team comprised Alisha P Rodrigues, Cleesha Pearl P, Gynnis Asuntha, Jenisha Lisa Pinto, Princita Jeeval D’Souza and was guided by Rosina Florence D’Souza.
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