Students at Choithram School in Indore implemented a whole school project to make their campus more environmentally friendly. They appointed Eco-Buddies to monitor resource use and collection of recyclable waste. Students decorated recycling bins and began separating paper, cardboard and newspaper to be sent for recycling. They hosted an exhibition on sustainability and held cleanliness drives. Nearly 2300 students participated in making positive changes to promote reducing, reusing and recycling at their school.

1. Coming Together…
Making The School An Eco-Friendly Oasis
Choithram School, Manik Bagh, Indore
Names of Students: Anshika Bhargava, Ananya Passi – Class VI
Mahak Arora – Class VII
Shubhi Raizada, Konark Joshi – Class VIII
Mentor Teacher: Mrs. Raminder Mac
The Week In Which It Was Implemented: September 5 to 10, 2011 - to be
continued for the entire session and beyond….
Step 1: FEEL
We discussed various problems in groups in our classes (VI to VIII). We all
realized that the basic problem that troubled most of us was the school campus
not being cared by the students.
Students were littering the class rooms and corridors, not switching off the fans
and lights when not required, not closing the taps of the water coolers and
washrooms and bringing polythene bags to the school.
We wanted to take up this initiative of ‘Making the School Environment Friendly’
as a whole school project from Class I to XII.
We wanted to see our school neat and clean like our home.
Step 2: IMAGINE
We wanted to develop a feeling of belongingness amongst the students for their
school campus.
We decided that each class must have a dustbin which should not be made of
plastic.
Students should collect paper waste in these dustbins which could be recycled.
Students could be asked to bring old newspapers, paper waste (voluntarily)
from home to be recycled.
We decided that Eco-Buddies must be appointed in every section of each class
who would ensure that fans and lights would be switched off when not required
as well as would monitor closing of taps of water coolers and washrooms.
Decided that at the end of the session ‘the most eco-friendly’ class should be
declared by taking the views of all the teachers and authorities.

2. The class where fans and lights were switched on during any period – the class
and section were to be announced in the assembly the next day and this class
would not be in fray for the ‘most eco-friendly class’.
We wanted to organize a School Exhibition on the theme ‘Sustainable
Development’ so that students from class I to XII could be sensitized regarding
this issue.
We hoped many classes would take up this problem in their class presentations
in the morning assembly.
Step 3: DO
Our school had recently set up a Language Lab. We saw many empty cartons
lying in one of the big rooms of the school.
Students of all sections of classes I to X were given a carton which was
beautifully decorated by them. Small cartons were given to classes I to V while
big ones were given to classes VI to XII. Big cartons were also placed in all the
staff rooms.
Students were asked to throw only waste paper in these cartons. They were
also asked to bring old newspapers, paper waste in the form of full sheets of
paper, torn or shredded paper, circulars, used envelopes, used or discarded
books and notebooks, cardboard boxes from home.
The newspaper waste and paper waste was collected in the dustbins of each
class. The Eco-buddies of each class deposited this in the ‘collection room’ from
where it was sent for recycling.
This paper waste was to help in providing less advantaged children with
notebooks from recycled paper.
Eco-buddies of each class ensured that fans and lights were switched off when
not required as well as taps of water coolers and washrooms were closed
properly.
Name of the class and section where fans and lights were switched on during
any period was announced in the assembly the next day. This made students
very conscious and within a short span of time the change was visible.
Students of classes VI to X took an oath not to bring polythene bags to school
(voluntary activity). The response was tremendous.
Students of classes I to XII worked together for the School Exhibition titled
‘Sustainable Development’ where Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and Making
Best Out of Waste were emphasized.
Some of the class presentations focused on problems related to environment
like global warming, pollution and our contribution towards this end.
October 1 was celebrated as the ‘Change Day’ where students of class VI to XII
undertook ‘Cleanliness Drive’ wherein they cleaned their classrooms and
corridors of the school.

3. It was planned as a voluntary activity, but the enthusiasm shown by everyone
was really unexpected. We thought that only few students would be involved in
this activity but to our surprise even the senior students of classes X to XII
actually broomed and mopped the floor.
We tried to change the mentality of students that even they can make a change
in the society, it's not always the elders, teachers or parents.
By changing the outlook of others we ourselves were transformed by this
initiative.
We learnt about our responsibility towards our environment for making a
greener tomorrow.
Nearly 2300 students were involved in this ‘whole school project’.
The following song has been penned by Mrs. Raminder Mac, Dean of Activities (our
Mentor Teacher) with regard to this initiative:
Coming together
Joining hands
Making the world better
We are the youth
We are the change
We are the harbingers…
Embarking towards
A better tomorrow
A greener tomorrow
We are the youth
We are the change
We are the harbingers…
Enshrining the three Rs
Reduce, Reuse, recycle
Rise Eco buddies, rise...
We are the youth
We are the change
We are the harbingers…
The above song has been added as background music in our You Tube presentation.
We are grateful to Raghvendra Mahashabde of class X for making the You Tube
presentation.
File Name on You Tube – Choithram School dfc.wmv
url address - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8zXsrq-PQY