Company Name : Generic Source : The Times Of India

PUNE: In order to encourage students to take part in positive environmental action, the Centre for Environment and Education (CEE), in partnership with the ministry of environment and forests, will initiate 'Paryavaran Mitra', a sustainability and climate change education programme across central India, including Maharashtra. 

The programme, to be carried out on district-level, intends to train schoolchildren through curriculum-linked activities and co-curricular projects. 

The programme will create paryavaran mitra (friends of the environment) and cover two lakh schools in the country. Sanskriti Menon, programme director, CEE (Central Regional Cell and CEE Urban Centre for Environment Education), said the programme has already been started in Ahmedabad, while the process is under way in central India — Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Goa. 

The project seeks to reach students in classes VI-IX (11-15 age group). During the first phase, from 2010-2013, about two crore students in two lakh schools will be reached. 

Menon said the programme is built on a variety of networks and partnerships. NGOs and corporates, as part of the 'corporate social responsibilty', can extend their support, work in communities and also contribute in the form of knowlegde and experience. 

The students will be sensitised and helped to understand the underlying science, social and economic issues, as well as the ethical issues relating to sustainability and climate change. 

One can build skills through hands-on experience and projects covering their immediate environment. The Paryavaran Mitra would be someone who has participated in or completed at least five activities in areas such as waste management, biodiversity and greening, energy, water, culture and heritage, Menon said. 

Schools that are part of the National Green Corps ( NGC) programme will be enrolled in the project through designated nodal agency. Groups of schools or networks of schools can join the programme by contacting Paryavaran Mitra.