Environmental Education Program

India

Heber Au Sable Institute offers a master of science degree in environmental science which includes a requirement for the college students to lead environmental education programs for primary school children.

The environmental education programme for school children is run twice a year. The environmental education programme for the academic year of 1999-2000 benefitted at least 400 children from the third, fourth, and fifth standards of four Diocesan Schools: St. John's Vestry School; CSI Elementary School, Woraiur; Methodist Elementary School, Woiraiur; and All Saint's Elementary School, Puthur. In this programme, the master students from the Department of Environmental Sciences visited the schools with charts and models to create awareness about the wonders of creation. They, later, brought the school children to the college campus for an 'hand-on' experience with nature through various games and activities in different stations focussing on fishes, birds, plants, trees, animals and insects. The hard work put in by the college students was fruitful as they watched the children thank the Creator through a prayer and take a pledge to protect the environment.