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Prakriti Environment
Education Bus
The mobile resource centre –
‘Prakriti’:Environment Education Bus –
visited Surat district of Gujarat. About 6500 people
including students, teachers and the general community
have taken benefit of this mobile resource centre.
Prakriti, Environment Education Bus,
a mobile resource centre to be used by the
South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN) members
in three districts of Gujarat-Surat, Bharuch and Ahmedabad.
This is a joint project by Centre for Environment Education
(CEE) and British Gas (BG) India and Gujarat Gas Company
Limited (GGCL). The objective is to create awareness
among school children, teachers and parents about environmental
issues in their immediate environment in the context
of Gujarat; capacity build youth as educators; and provide
resource material support to school teachers and other
educators.
Prakriti reaches out to a broad section
of the community in urban and rural areas in the selected
districts by using a multi media approach including
panel displays, activities, interactive models, films,
slide shows, puppet shows, role-plays and take away
communication material like pamphlets, brochures, labels
and postcards.
Themes of Prakriti are broadly categorized
to cover relevant environmental issues in Surat, Bharuch
and Ahmedabad districts and are - Our Gujarat and Our
District; Our Biodiversity; Our Land; Our Energy; Air
Pollution, Industrial Gujarat and Natural Gas.
The journey of the bus started after
its launch on 17th February 2005, at V. D. Desai School,
Bhulka Bhawan Surat. The bus is visiting National Green
Corps schools in Surat. In a short period of 13 days,
the bus visited 11 schools and one community site in
Surat wherein about 4,300 students have participated.
The bus also participated in Balvividha, at Unai, Surat,
where about 12,000 visitors comprising students, teachers
and parents particularly from the tribal community visited
the bus.
The students as well as the teachers
and general community have responded very positively
to the bus as it has a different approach to learning.
During discussions, some of the students expressed that
this program has helped them to understand various aspects
of the environment. They would now undertake efforts
to keep their schools, houses and surrounding areas
clean, and would also use energy and water efficiently.
The teachers and management of the schools visited by
the bus are now interested in setting up an environment
education resource centre in their schools. They have
also requested Prakriti’s volunteers to assist
them in developing it.
In the villages, the bus received
a very positive response. Some of them mentioned that
this Mobile Resource Centre satisfies an often felt
need, as it helps people understand various aspects
of environment.
Similarly, some of the organizations
who were part of the experience felt that such a Resource
is very essential to reach to each part of the society
to create environmental awareness.
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