After watching WALL-E and The Core, a young girl from Class 2, expressed deep environmental anxiety. WALL-E portrays a future where Earth is overwhelmed by garbage, and humans suffer the consequences of excessive consumption and inactivity. The Core depicts a scenario where the Earth's core stops rotating, leading to catastrophic atmospheric effects. Troubled by these portrayals, she asked with concern, "Will my life end? Could my school building collapse at any time? Will the Earth stop spinning, or will aliens take over, leading to human extinction?" Her questions reflect a growing fear about the planet's future and the impact of human actions on the environment.
While this concern exists in everyone, we often overlook it as we become absorbed in our daily routines.
Schools, however, have the power to change this by integrating sustainability into the curriculum, ensuring that future generations adopt it as a way of life. Imagine if, over 12 years of schooling, we as educators instilled just one sustainable habit each year. By the time students reach Class 12, they would have embraced at least 10 sustainable practices. If every school followed this approach, sustainability would shift from mere preaching to active, lasting change.
As achieving global goals by 2030 becomes increasingly challenging, inculcating sustainability into students' core values should be a top priority of all educators. Small changes—such as switching from a plastic pencil box to a cloth pouch, choosing organic products, planting trees or adopting one, collecting waste paper for recycling, carpooling to school, designating a no-vehicle day, using electricity and water judiciously and organizing awareness drives—can make a meaningful impact. These simple actions set a powerful example for younger students, creating a ripple effect toward a more sustainable future.
A Bold Step into Real-World Learning
In April 2023, during one of her first interactions with senior school students, our new principal posed a question about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A hush fell over the assembly—only a few students could respond. This moment marked the beginning of our journey to understand and integrate the SDGs into our learning.
Throughout the year, student-led morning assemblies focused on sustainability, gradually deepening awareness. To take this further, we launched Project-Based Learning (PBL) programming the year 2024 in collaboration with an external mentor, engaging both students and teachers in meaningful exploration. What made this initiative truly special was that we were all co-learners in the process, discovering new perspectives together.
Recognizing the need for a structured approach, the school integrated sustainability into its core framework, ensuring it became an essential part of the curriculum and school culture. A dedicated student leadership team was formed and trained under expert guidance, equipping them with socio-emotional skills to lead with empathy and resilience.
The initiative, titled CATT (Collective Actions Towards Transformation),was introduced to encourage students to explore real-world issues through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With this strong foundation, CATT adopted a structured seven-step process to drive the initiative forward, fostering a deeper commitment to sustainability across the school community.
7 Steps of PBL
To ensure a smooth implementation, CATT followed a seven-step process:
Awareness Sessions – Students and teachers were introduced to SDGs and their significance.
SDG Selection – Students selected an SDG that resonated with them.
Group Formation – Groups of 10-12 students were formed, brainstorming their chosen SDG indicators.
Identifying Local Problems – Groups conducted discussions to identify relevant community issues.
Research & Planning – Field visits, interviews, and data collection helped in understanding the broader context.
Developing Solutions – Students designed feasible solutions like prototypes, policy drafts, or awareness campaigns.
Presentation & Reflection – Students showcased their findings and solutions to peers, teachers, and community members.
Documenting the PBL Journey
Students’ reflections, research, and solutions were documented in a booklet. This served as a tangible record of their learning journey, showcasing their transition from apprehension to innovation.
It also highlighted how students transitioned from uncertainty to confident problem-solvers, taking ownership of their projects.
Culmination: Changemaker Day
Changemaker Day marked a significant shift—from competition to collaboration and from awareness to action. Our first annual PBL showcase embraced this change, redefining the school’s cultural approach. With firm resolve, the principal insisted that all student projects be presented collaboratively rather than competitively. Instead of awarding the "best" projects, recognition was given to students who initiated meaningful change in their own lives, celebrating impact over accolades.
Transformative Learning in Action
The PBL initiative led to several impactful outcomes to name a few
One-minute games to change the world: empowering student voices
Paper recycling with and without machines – A sustainable initiative promoting eco-friendly practices.
Mental Health Awareness Through Music – Students composed a song to help peers cope with emotions.
Menstrual Awareness Drives – Awareness sessions for girls in school and nearby communities.
Tackling Traffic and Pollution Issues – Research on pollution levels around the school and advocating for eco-friendly solutions.
Carpooling app
Women Empowerment drive through mimes, street plays
Water management
Improving spoken English of support staff
Promoting healthy eating habits by creating a recipe booklet
Navigating Sensitive Topics: Fostering a Supportive Space
Human Library -Interactive learning platform where people act as "books," sharing their real-life experiences
Challenges & the Road Ahead
Some groups commenced shifting between issues, and challenges arose in arriving at local solutions. Some groups needed guidance in refining feasible and actionable plans, while the others faced hurdles with dynamics creating conflicts, unequal participation, or a lack of coordination. Impact measurement remains another key issue.
Tracking the influence of these initiatives on the community is challenging due to hurdles in systematic data collections not being able to quantify the benefits on an individual level. Educators struggled to provide the right balance between mentorship and independent student thinking.
The Journey of Project-Based Learning (PBL) continues ….
Despite several challenges, the vision for the next session remains stronger; to foster changemakers, ready to create a sustainable and impactful future.
Schools should allocate specific hours each week for PBL and integrate them with the curriculum to reduce additional workload on students. Monthly planning with short-term goals, designated research and execution phases, and regular review meetings will ensure steady progress.
Collaborating with NGOs and industry experts, for mentorship and real-world exposure; access to necessary materials, digital tools, and structured frameworks will also facilitate smoother project execution.
Educators can address group dynamic issues assigning specific roles within teams, introduce conflict resolution techniques, and conduct team-building activities.
Active listening and peer assessment mechanisms can be introduced to ensure fair contribution from all members. For effective impact measurement, students should be encouraged to maintain comprehensive journals and reflection logs. Data collection mechanisms will help quantify the reach and significance of their projects. Create positions for mission “refreshers” on a regular basis so that projects do not terminate by the year end but continue.
Conclusion
Through guided mentorship, collaborative learning, and real-world problem-solving, students who embrace SDGs pave the way for a more globally aware and proactive generation. With effective strategies and access to resources, PBL can thrive as a powerful educational tool.
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