Over the years, a lot of work has been done to bring sustainability issues into schools.

To emphasize the importance of sustainability, it is necessary to teach sustainability in schools so that the children get first-hand experience of many aspects of sustainability.

Both Center for Science & Environment (CSE) and The Climate Reality Project have green school programs and have produced booklets with criteria for them, to be called “ a Green School”.

For this purpose, the Mobius Foundation (MF) is building a school in Coorg, which will be called “ The World Environment School” (WES), in a 100 acre site.

The central value of the school will be its green credentials. This will be reflected in its architecture, curriculum, co-curriculum and community programs. Environmental protection and sustainability is the core of the school.

It will have the following features:

• Located in the Western Ghats, which is an area of Bio-diversity.
• Experiential learning
• Solar panels and wind mills for generating electricity.
• 10 Acre area will be a bio-diversity park made with the help of the forest department. It will contain endemic trees as well as medicinal plants. This is called “Devakad’’. It exists in each village and the area has strict rules to safeguard the vegetation.
• Will have a small dairy and chicken farm – will make compost of the cow dung and produce gobar gas.

On the campus, the children will develop an understanding of some of the methods to reduce the carbon footprint.

There will be an environment lab.,where projects can be demonstrated.

Water harvesting and no borewells. We shall create ponds, from which water will be drawn for drinking as well as for gardens.

We have engaged the Center for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, to create a special environment curriculum for Classes 6-10 . The children will form small groups and carry out projects which demonstrate sustainability. They will grow their own vegetables. Each class will have projects with their level of difficulty according to the class standard.

Zero waste campus. The key to success will be the teachers who will be specially trained to teach environmental issues.

It is also necessary to build character and discipline along with academics and environment curriculum–This will be a part of the school ethos.

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