Continuous Engagement Programme in Rajasthan

Continuous Engagement Programme (CEP) is an initiative of Wipro for association with Earthian Awardees. Since 2013, CEE and Wipro are working together on Earthian-Paryavaran Mitra initiative. Winner schools participate in CEP is to enhance conceptual understanding of sustainability amongst stakeholders in a school context and developing a pedagogy model of education for sustainability whole school & whole system approach. This programme is driven by the objective of enhancing teaching and learning process, making it more interactive, learner-centric, and participatory (such as learning from peer and community) and empowering. Under the programme, CEE has orgainsed training of teachers and provided them the tools to deliver sustainability content in the classroom and strengthening curricular interventions using project-based learning

To provide a different kind of educational experience, Earthian winner school team were invited to be part of bio-cultural camp each year from 2016 to kindle the interest of participants towards the invisible bio-cultural aspects of the forests. Bio-cultural camps focused on learning about biodiversity and cultural importance of the area. Such camps were opportunity to stimulate joyful, enlightening insights and experiences for our children and youth.

As part of the programme, nature walk, bird watching trail, jungle safari and boat ride were organized to give practical orientation to the participants about the diversity of fauna and flora and their interconnections and their role in supporting life on earth A community interaction session supported participants to observe and understand the complex interlinkage of forest and tribe residing there. Participants interacted with them to understand their traditional systems of housing and eco-friendly lifestyle and local sustainable practices. The groups documented various information about their livelihood, farmlands, traditional practices, their rituals, current problems which they are facing, their dependence on forests, etc. They shared the need of protection of forest as these forest serve as major resources for livelihood and other basic needs of the Tharu community through fisheries, water, etc. Participants were able to understand the coexistence and relationship between the community and forest.Teachers reflected that the group activity organised during the camp was an opportunity of peer learning for multi- grade and multi- level group, with different cultures. They liked group activity as it provided a chance to interact promoting sharing and respect for other participants, opportunity to bring out hidden talents of participants and helped them to imbibe skill of participation, team work, documentation, self-belief, presentation, expression, etc. Teachers found that the programme has supported teaching learning process as it provides new way of transacting with students.