WWF-India believes that environmental education is a lifelong process that encourages exploring, raise questions, investigate issues and seek solutions to environmental and social problems.
Environmental education (“EE”) refers to organised efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably.
The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to post-secondary. However, it is sometimes used more broadly to include all efforts to educate the public and other audiences, including print materials, websites, media campaigns, etc.
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Environmental Education is a process of recognizing values and clarifying concepts in order to develop skills and added tools necessary to understand and appreciate the interrelationship among man, his culture and his bio-physical surrounding.
It creates an overall perspective, which acknowledges the fact that natural environment and man-made environment are inter-dependent. It should consider the environment in its totality and should be a continuous lifelong process beginning at the pre-school level and continuing through all stages.
It should be inter-disciplinary and examine major environmental issues from local, national and international points of view. It should utilize various educational approaches to teach and learn about and from the environment with stress on practical activities and first-hand experience. It is through this process of education that people can be sensitized about the environmental issues.
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Ever since its inception in 1969, WWF-India’s Environment Education (EE) programme has come a long way in achieving its mission: strengthen human and institutional capacity in nature conservation and environmental protection on a long term basis, with the help of environment education and awareness activities.
Knowledge creates awareness, and the right attitude is the prerequisite for sustainable social action. This in essence is how environment education can pave the way to a sustainable future.
WWF-India believes that environmental education is a lifelong process to seek relevant solutions to environmental and social issues. It strives to strengthen individual and institutional capacity for nature conservation and environmental protection, by promoting education and awareness within the social structure.
WWF-India seeks mitigate environmental degradation by fostering teamwork and ecological sensitivity by initiating the process of discovering and appreciating the wonders of nature.
Objectives:
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i. Develop mechanisms and institutions for enhancing outreach activities through Nature Clubs of India, Eco clubs and Interpretation Programmes.
ii. Increase our presence and influence in formal education system at the primary and higher levels through policy advocacy with the Central Boards and the National Council for Education and Research Training.
iii. Develop a comprehensive teacher training programme that includes re-capitulation.
iv. Develop and implement environment sensitization programmes or modules for key target groups.
v. Advocate research on EE in the formal education to enhance impacts on policies related to increased focus on EE.
vi. To encourage non-governmental organisations, mass media and other concerned organisations for promoting awareness among the people at all levels;
vii. To ensure training and manpower development in environment education; and
viii. To mobilise people’s awareness for the preservation and conservation of environment.