SAS Nagar :
The Sustainability Leaders Program in SAS Nagar reached its conclusion this week, marking a significant achievement for the participating schools. Twenty educational institutions dedicated sessions to public speaking, where students showcased their efforts through PowerPoint presentations, street plays, and discussions on the field initiatives undertaken during the program. Students took pledges to protect our environment and handle waste responsibly.
Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Navjot Kaur, and Joint Commissioner, Kiran Sharma, visited schools at Sohana and 3B1 and expressed satisfaction at the active involvement of students and teachers in waste management practices. Ms. Chandrajyoti Singh, IAS, SDM, Mohali, graced the valedictory session at Mataur, Manauli, and Kumbra schools.
Deputy Education Officer, Angrej Singh, visited schools in Phase 11 and Mauli Baidwan, while Suhani Sharma, the Program lead, visited schools including Khizrabad and Mundo Sangtian.
Giving details MC Commissioner said that this program was initiated by Deputy Commissioner, Aashika Jain on August 21, 2023. The Sustainability Leaders Program was conceptualized by Suhani Sharma, a Class XI student of Delhi Public School, Chandigarh.
She said that the structured internship program aimed to engage students in sustainable waste management practices, providing resources, blogs, exercises, and videos for students in Grades 8th to 12th. Details are available on program’s website: https://sustainableleaders1.wixsite.com/sustainabilityleader.
District Education Officer, Ginni Duggal and the program coordinator, Preeti Bansal, disclosed that the program attracted over 1150 students from more than 20 schools. Participants witnessed source segregation, horticulture waste composting, recycling activities, and the Cowdung waste management model at the Mohali Gaushala, producing Eco-Logs made of shredded coconut shells and cow dung to replace firewood at the crematorium grounds hence saving trees. College students volunteered to mentor school participants, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
In the final round held this week, the school nodal teachers, assisted by mentors, selected the best-performing 6-10 students. The winners received prizes and certificates after engaging in public speaking sessions.
The partner NGO, ‘Samaj Sanrakshan Samiti,’ sponsored 200 copies of the Amazon best-seller sci-fi fantasy thriller, ‘The Missing Prophecy- Rise of the Blue Phoenix,’ as prizes for outstanding students, with additional copies for school libraries.
Suhani Sharma, who has conceptualized this program emphasized the educational value of the book, noting its contribution to language enhancement. To facilitate comprehension, chapter-word-meaning printouts were provided to prize winners.
Under the Criteria for Student Performance Assessment. The students’ work over the past two months was rewarded, based on the skills learned in five key activities:
a. Critical thinking based on Assignment writing
b. Creativity based on Poster creation, storytelling, slogan, or doodle
c. Digital Skills based on learning and creating PowerPoint presentations
d. Initiative – Personal or team-based sustainability activities
e. Public Speaking: Students present their PPT, tell a story, or explain their poster.
