Waste Management : Mohali Administration’s Initiative to engage school students to make them responsible and proactive advocates soon

S.A.S Nagar : In a first of its kind unique initiative, Mohali Administration is going to engage young minds (students) in waste management program with awareness campaign ‘Sustainability Leaders Program for Students’.
Divulging details, the Deputy Commissioner, Aashika Jain said that the Unique Proposal on this program was submitted by a Senior Secondary first year (Eleventh Class) student Suhani Sharma of Delhi Public School. Appreciating the concern of Suhani, Aashika Jain said that the program will be beneficial for the administration and urban local bodies to sensitise the young students on this crucial issue and to make them responsible and proactive advocates of environment protection.
She said that as per the proposal submitted by the Suhani, an eight weeks program would be designed for approximately 1000 students on the basis of participation of two hours’ daily. The students will be chosen from class 8 to 12 standard and the program would have two phases; first as beginners’ of four weeks and final as advanced of another four weeks.
The program in the name of ”Sustainability Leaders Program for Students’ will enroll 1000 students in beginners’ program while 100 out of these to advanced program. On completion of program, the students will be awarded with a certificate besides the best performing school will be acknowledged as the ‘ Sustainability Leader School’, added the deputy commissioner.
Throwing light upon the program, the deputy commissioner said that the Beginners’ program will have live webinars covering various aspects of waste management in first week. The second week will include field visits to observe waste segregation efforts and interaction with waste generators and collectors.
Students select a mission based challenge, express its impact and desired outcome through essays, stories or posters in third week. In the fourth week, the students will share their key learnings, especially any personal behaviour change that can be attributed to this program through presentations or video recorded speeches.
The advanced program of another four weeks would be based on a live webinar on understanding the waste management ecosystem and stakeholders in the fifth week while the sixth week will observe the role play of stakeholders, presentations sharing their resources, concerns and solutions.
Research on mission based challenge and presentation of technological and non technological solutions will be the part of seventh week. The last and eighth week will be dedicated to develop a website to present their solutions.
The deputy commissioner said that the project will develop a comprehensive understanding of waste management, critical thinking, public speaking and research skills among the students besides to give exposure to the students to have a responsible and proactive approach towards the issue of waste management that is becoming a major problem for the future.