Climate Resilient Schools and Communities (formally known as Green Schools)
USPG has been supporting the Church of South India (CSI) Green Schools programme (now named the Climate Resilient Schools and Communities programme) since 2017. The idea behind the Green Schools programme was to train students in environmental care by putting students in charge of conducting ‘green audits’ of their respective schools. Each school participating in the programme appointed 60 students to assess its performance in areas such as air quality, energy efficiency and waste management. The students provided recommendations based on their findings and the schools implement changes where necessary.
The CSI’s Department for Ecological Concerns has collaborated with the Indian government’s Environment Department to produce an environmental curriculum. Thanks to Green Schools, the CSI was recognised as a leading force in acting on the environment. The Eco-Ministry of the CSI (of which the Green Schools programme is a part) has been nominated for the 2019 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development by the World Council of Churches. It was hailed as a good practice story on UNESCO’s website.
In 2022, the Green Schools Programme became so successful that it moved to a second phase in its development. Now renamed the Climate Resilient Schools and Communities programme, the children work towards transformation of their houses just like they do in schools. Using this model, the programme aims to create community transformation through students.
Thanks to the support of our donors, the programme continues to go from strength to strength. Just last year in 2022, 300 students received important teaching on saving the environment.
The children love learning about new ways to become environmentally friendly. Many of them are thinking about how the skills they learn now will help them as they get older. They have already started making a difference at home and in their communities.
Alongside this important work, the CSI has developed a range of environmental resources, including the books Green Miracles, Sustainable Living, Climate Emergency and Green Stories for Sunday School Children. A Green Clergy movement is up and running and there are Green Dioceses too.
