RCE Srinagar - 2023

“Educating Youth for Sustainability Action, Climate and Disaster Resilience”
Basic Information
Title of project : 
“Educating Youth for Sustainability Action, Climate and Disaster Resilience”
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Srinagar
Contributing organization(s) : 
RCE Dobong-gu
RCE Hangzhou
RCE Kitakyushu

Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar
Organizational Affiliation: 
Focal Point
E-mail: 
abdhesh.gangwar@gmail.com
Format of project: 
Manuscript, PPT
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Web link: 
http://www.rce-network.org/ | http://sd.dobong.go.kr/
Additional resources: 
NA
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
No
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
India
Location(s): 
Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
Address of focal point institution for project: 
RCE Dobong-gu, 656 Madeul-ro, Dobong District Office, Dobong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
RCE Srinagar Focal Point: E/2/13, Sushant Golf City Ansal API, Sultanpur Road, Lucknow 226 030 India
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Forest, Fresh water, Mountain, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community, Primary, Secondary, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
More than 65% India is rural engaged in agriculture which is highly susceptible to climate change. Climate induced disasters pose serious threats to livelihoods. Disaster losses, both lives and infrastructure, across India are quite high and further increasing. In India, National Government is strong, also the State Governments. However, the village level governance, the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), having elected representatives, need significant capacity building. Schools are a good platform for educating youth and promoting sustainability. They also provide a window to reach out to community. Teachers and students prove a great asset in strengthening and empowering PRIs.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
In most sectors and indicators of sustainable development India ranks low and performs poor in achieving most SDGs. India has highly vulnerable population. Besides, it is highly prone to climate change impacts. Agriculture and animal husbandry are major source of income and employment to more than 70% population and both these sectors are badly hit adversely by climate change impacts. Extreme weather events pose serious threats to food, nutrition, health and well-being. Illiterate, unhealthy, unskilled, population pose serious hindrances in achieving sustainable development.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
January, 2021
Rationale: 
Project ‘Neuru’ (a Korean word equivalent to sustainability) conceived and developed by RCE Dobong-gu is a global ESD youth collaborative project to foster ecological literacy and global leadership amongst youth. It is an international project being implemented through like-minded RCEs across Asia-Pacific region. RCE Srinagar is an active partner in the project. The first season of the project was during 2021 with the theme ‘Sustainable Food’; second season during 2022 having theme ‘Sustainable Fashion’; and now the third season in 2023 is having the theme ‘Sustainable Housing’. There are two groups, Junior (standards 6-8) and senior (from standard 9 and above including University students). Junior group has to attend five sessions, one session in a month. Each session is of one hour. Students have to do worksheets and present their research during the session besides other discussion and activities. Senior group has to do seven sessions. Every year, as part of the Neuru project, an international conference is also organized. Finding the project interesting, educative and useful, students have been demanding for Neuru season 4 also.
Objectives: 
The project is to create awareness and promote sustainability. It aims at helping youth to adopt a low carbon lifestyle and help planet earth regenerate better and faster. ‘Reduce footprint’ and ‘increase handprint’ towards achieving a sustainable, climate smart and disaster resilient society, a Green Earth and Blue Sky is the motive of the project. It also forges international collaboration amongst youth, boosts their morale and confidence in making discussion and presentation. It also teaches them to conduct research, analyse data, interpret it, draw conclusions and prepare reports.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
RCE Dobong-gu designs worksheets for the participating students and circulates to them 2-3 weeks before the session. Students need to solve the worksheets and submit by the last date. RCE Dobong-gu makes an analysis of all the worksheets received and presents the finding during the session. Students are asked to make 1-minute presentation of their research in solving the worksheet. Dr. Hyun-soon Bae joined by the representatives of other participating RCEs make observations on the contents and overall conduct of the session. Being international only few students from each country can take part. From RCE Srinagar in Neuru 3, 11 students, 6 in junior and 5 in senior category from 5 schools, are taking part. The participating students and their mentor teachers after suitable adaptation shared the lessons with the students and teachers of the entire school. What is learnt from an international project is implemented locally.
Size of academic audience: 
Global: RCE cities from 11 countries are participating in Project Neuru Season 3. A total of 145 students are taking part in it. India: From RCE Srinagar, 11 students and 3 mentor teachers from 5 schools directly , 5000+ indirectly..
Results: 
Through students, community is reached out and awareness is created there also. Hand Print, Foot Print, and their Calculators are being discussed and demonstrated. People, individually and collectively, now have been trying to reduce their footprint and increase handprint. This has been promoting sustainable consumption and production and circular economy. This has been helping in cutting down ‘Earth Overshoot’ and increasing community’s contribution towards achieving ‘One-Planet Living’.

Schools and Gram Panchayats engaging in environmental conservation projects has been leading to efficient natural resource management, creating income and employment opportunities locally, stopping out migration and improving overall wellbeing of local population.

Our efforts are in tune with global and national targets like Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Paris Climate Agreement, ‘Lifestyle for Environment’. Our interventions are making schools as turn key agents in strengthening local community, the State and the Nation.

Lessons learned: 
International collaboration boosts morale of the students and teachers. They are overjoyed, overwhelmed and excited requesting for Neuru Season 4.
Time difference between countries sometimes becomes an issue.
Language barriers also arise.
Cultural barriers also put hindrances. In Neuru Season 1, the theme was ‘Hamburger Connection”. In India cow is worshipped, cow meat and slaughter banned, hamburger not sold.
Gadgets and software required for participation becomes an issue for the poor students. High speed internet access also becomes an issue.
Key messages: 
Students and teachers, RCEs from several countries coming together, discussing ESD, sharing experience, learning from each other is just amazing. Reach out and impact through ripple effects becomes huge. It generates so much interest, instils confidence and motivation making ESD action a reality. It helps in creating youth leaders.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
Following RCEs participated, contributed to the project and got benefitted from it. Back home, they use the contents obtained from the international project for their community after making suitable adaptation and translation.
RCE Dobong-gu
RCE Hangzhou
RCE Kitakyushu
RCE Srinagar
RCE GPP, Cambodia
RCE East Kalimantan
RCE Kathmandu (candidate)
Cities from United States of America
Funding: 
Own funds of RCEs and the participating schools
Initial Research & Development by RCE Dobong-gu

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Presenting his research on the worksheet.png (898.37 KB) Student presenting his research on the worksheet RCE Dobong-gu
Image icon First Orientation Session.png (1.77 MB) First orientation session getting closed RCE Dobong-gu
References and reference materials: 
PDF icon 2. Project Neuru flyer.pdf
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Direct
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Indirect
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Direct
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Direct
Traditional Knowledge  
Direct
Agriculture 
Direct
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Indirect
Ecotourism 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Direct
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes