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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The sustainable development goals (SDGs) were adopted by all the United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to dissolve the issues of poverty, preserve & protect the planet, and to ensure humans enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030. The 17 SDG’s acknowledge the fact that action in one area will affect the outcome in other, and that the balance between social, economic and environmental sustainability must be maintained in the course of development.

In the light of this global sustainability mission, some active philanthropists and social workers are fully committed to achieving these goals. One such individual is Mr. Pradip Burman, who has envisioned a completely green school by 2021, perhaps Asia’s first. The great news is that the school is already in the making in the scenic green city of Coorg, Karnataka, India.

At The Economic Times SDGs Summit 2019, Mr. Pradip Burman stated “What are we doing for the future? I think the question here is on education, on which my trust is setting up the school which is called World Environment School. Now from a young age, if all the aspects of sustainability is run into the school curriculum, then that will be a big help for children to turn out to be the leaders of hitting the SDG goals and that’s one of the things my trust is doing. I think the education we are looking at is how to make green schools by water, renewable energy, etc. These are some of the things we are doing in green schools, but to get to a different curriculum altogether, we are also developing a curriculum for the schools which makes it relevant in today’s world to train leaders for the future”.

World Environment School (WESc) can be defined as an institution that provides the mandatory classroom education but increases the overall proposition to a holistic education & development of the student. Students will learn and live in a campus which is eco-friendly, energy saving and is also a live example of what we refer to as biodegradable. Students will learn about minor to major aspects of sustainable attitude & an eco-friendly lifestyle. This is exactly what our future generation should adapt to.

The campus is plastic free and the curriculum involves pastoral care. The icing on the cake is the location, WESc is being built in between the green city of Coorg. A city which is filled with lush green mountains and hence has clean fresh air. As Wesc is an open air campus, students will be able to fully enjoy a healthy clean atmosphere. The state of their health and development will not undergo any compromise. Similarly, in future these children would not compromise having anything less than a clean eco-friendly planet to live on.

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In a state of constant struggle with the current hazardous climatic conditions and scarcity of basic survival resources, we are trapped in an absolute worst state of living conditions! Pollution released from vehicles, manufacturing units, air conditioners, and from activities like burning of harvests have made it impossible for us to breathe clean air. On top of it, we are very dependent on technologies such as air purifiers, products such as pollution masks and abstract services like an oxygen jar (our prior generations must be laughing). This is a result of our own unsustainable activities and taking for granted nature’s assets like fresh air, clean water and green lands.

Thankfully, we still have places like Coorg around us. Why?
It is a lush green hilly city with infinite amount of fresh, amazing fauna and flora and of course clean water. Yes, all that exists together in one place, while we struggle in our “developing” city life. Unimaginable right?

While you thought Coorg was only a nice coffee venue, it kept thriving to become a significant ‘Greenhouse’ for planet earth! It is in fact Asia’s largest producer of honey and is known as the unspoilt “country of million hills”. Apart from endless green spaces and towering green hills, it is home to a host of animals like elephants, tigers, giant flying squirrels, leopards, jackals etc. Coorg is also an ideal place for trekking and the best time to visit this scenic district of karnataka is between November and April.

Observing all these positive characteristics about Coorg, it is also an ideal place to open a sustainable school. The good news is that Mr. Pradip Burman and his initiative The Mobius Foundation is all set to open a sustainable, eco-friendly school in Coorg, called WES (World Environment School). The school will be built in the heart of Coorg and will open its doors to students in 2021. The project looks very promising as it aims to provide students with practical examples of sustainable living through its plastic free campus, energy saving facilities, plants and environment friendly setups and so on.

Children would learn while having the presence of nature all around them, and so would become sensitive to its needs. The open air campus will provide students with easy access to fresh clean air of Coorg, also enabling them to inhale lots of oxygen as well. WES aims to mould the minds of the young ones as responsible and sensitive towards the very environment we live in.

This also throws light on the fact that Coorg will expand a lot economically and socially because of this project. This district of Karnataka will have many of its local teachers employed and would have farmers find better earning opportunities. Labour and other working sectors will find plenty of employment opportunities. On this note hoping for a smooth and soon opening of the World Environment School, in the lovely city of Coorg.

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A land which gives an impactful sight of a green misty landscape! An atmosphere away from the toxicity of current climate conditions and near to towering green hills – that are comforting to not only your eyes but even your breath. Yes, we are speaking of COORG, officially also known as Kodagu. An absolutely scenic hilly city based in Karnataka – it is considered on the top of the list for Eco-friendly places in India. With extensively spread tea gardens and forest covered hills, we do not beg to doubt on that.

Imagine having an educational institute in the midst of such natural surroundings. An educational institution and school which aims to build young minds as future sustainability guardians for our planet. – Perfect combination! WES – World Environment School based in the lovely city of COORG is exactly what we are talking about. It will be the first green school in India and South East Asia and would have a 100% plastic-waste free campus – yes you heard it right, “No usage of plastic at all”. It will not compromise on premium infrastructure facilities for students and yet save up on basic necessity resources such as water, energy, land etc.

The school believes and works on the motto of – Green, Global and Magic of India. It is global as it provides world class infrastructure and it holds the essence of the ‘Magic of India’ as it provides students with opportunities to learn the ancient Indian lifestyles such as the art of Yoga. WES aims to formulate the mindset of students in a way that they become environmentally responsible humans who are sensitive towards flora and fauna and their surrounding environment. The school is set to launch in 2021 and offer exciting opportunities to children such as experiential learning, pastoral care and an International Baccalaureate program (which encourages children to do farming and adapt the beneficial ‘organic’ lifestyle).

Coorg is the perfect location for WES as students will easily adapt to an Eco-friendly and sustainable culture while being surrounded by itself. Each day students will be surrounded by an environment while they learn and grow in classrooms. Nature will be right there to inspire and teach them about what actually matters in life. As the saying goes “Nature takes its own time, yet everything is accomplished”.

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