“Humans are responsible for preserving or depletion of the natural resources. Safeguarding mother Earth is their sole responsibility, for the future generations must enjoy using them too”, said students of Global Indian International School (GIIS), Noida during campus wide Earth Day celebrations held in school for middle and primary wing in May 2018.

The objective of carrying out various activities like special assemblies, role plays, interactive class activities, etc. during the Earth day celebrations was to make students familiar and feel responsible for the resources they use in daily routine, save and utilize them wisely, and  establish a strong personal connect with the environment through recreation and reflection. These activities not only brought awareness but also helped in strengthening the bond between youth i.e. students and mother Earth.

Students from grades 1-2 were engaged in various activities over a span of two days. General class interactions were conducted between teachers and students to help them understand the importance of electricity and water, and what might happen in future if we don’t save them. Easy ways of saving the resources were also pondered upon. A short and motivating video on conserving the natural resources were shown to the students in the AV room to highlight the dire need of conserving water and electricity. The video presentation activity concluded with a pledge to save our Mother Earth. Slogan writing activity was also conducted; students along with their teachers prepared posters of Mother Earth and wrote slogans on it. This activity helped them realise that small steps can make a big difference if one does it constantly.

The school firmly believes that health is an indispensable indicator of human well-being, and hence every special assembly begins with meditational and pranayama exercises to propagate a healthy way of living; students conduct the same on everyday basis as a usual practice for proper breathing and increasing memory power. Students from grades 3-10 were then apprised with the significance of the theme in relation to the most valuable and meaningful gem of the 9 GEMs framework i.e. Community connection, care and conservation. Special quotes, thoughts, poem, speech, etc. on the value of Earth and its natural resources were shared by students setting the ambience right. The highlight for the assembly was a street play to bring out the actual state of available natural resources and how they can become obsolete if not used or conserved properly.

Lastly, few moral and practical ways of saving our natural resources were shared by the students. They indicated some best practices and techniques that can easily be followed in one’s daily life to conserve the natural resources.