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| One of our most interesting programmes is Bridge the Gap (BTG) - a unique curriculum designed by us that aims at narrowing the increasing gap between the biosphere and humankind. The curriculum aims enabling young people to strike a connection with and between the natural world and the man-made world. |
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| Context |
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Our current education system and parenting focuses on consumption based upbringing as a result of which development and larger issues of social responsibility and active citizenship have taken a back seat. The education imparted in schools today, makes us qualified for a good job but it fails to inculcate sensitivity towards issues that do not affect us directly. In addition, it does not impart the intelligence to understand and reflect upon the consequences of our actions on the poorest of the poor, the marginalized and the unheard sections of our society.
The development model that we have adopted is multi-directional and multi -dimensional growth, benefiting a few but leaving many behind. Rising sensex, glittering shopping malls, sky kissing buildings and four-lane roads may reflect the material prowess of a nation and a good “standard of living” of its people but it does not represent their “quality of life”.
With consumerism and market economy becoming the driving force of our lives; these physical manifestations of development have disastrous consequences for the environment.
The three pillars of BTG are:
Enviornment Education
Environment Education should not be treated as yet another course. It is an innovative method of establishing a relationship between us and the environment. In a nutshell, through Environment Education, BTG aims at creating a creative pedagogy on environment and looks at redefining ‘Environment’- inclusive of physical environment as well as human environment.
Life Skills
Today’s world is ridden with myriad problems that range from wars, natural disasters, diseases to crisis of identity, discrimination based on gender, race and colour. These challenges affect one and all, especially the young people who have little or no ability to confront these problems. BTG is designed to enable young people, through innovative and interactive teaching methods, to acquire knowledge and to develop attitudes and abilities that support the adoption of healthy behaviours. In a way, BTG is all encompassing that accepts diversity of any kind as a fact and aims at discovering new methods to develop a relationship with ourselves and the world around us.
Active Citizenship
Citizenship is a legal status that confers certain rights and duties on a person. In the past few years, the apathy amongst the youth towards political participation has been increasing steadily. However, it would be a folly to interpret citizenship in narrow legalist and constitutional terms. The focus and avenues of participation has shifted over the years making it important to invent new tools to evaluate the participation of people, especially the youth in society and politics. Young people may not be able to vote before they are 18 or contest elections but they can make a positive contribution to their communities. Young people should be encouraged to be involved in decision-making, both in schools and in the wider community, and they should be encouraged to think critically about their role in society and their potential as agents of change. |
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| Objectives |
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- To establish the relation between oneself and the local and global social, political, cultural and ecological issues.
- To have a better understanding of the self and the ‘other’ and deconstruct stereotypes to make this world more humane and just.
- To acquire knowledge about of the origin and functioning of the natural system and its correlation with the living world.
- To understand ‘Human’ environment.
- To have an understanding of the consequences of human actions on the environment.
- To look at school as a social system and therefore looking at it as a unit which is completely environmentally managed (further leading to various ISO Certifications).
- To look at school as a social system and therefore looking at it as a unit which is completely environmentally managed (further leading to various ISO Certifications).
- To develop interest and social responsibility towards environmental problems and make positive contribution towards environmental conservation.
- To develop citizenship, stewardship and civic sense.
- To build an understanding of the needs and rights of future generations and foster a sense of responsibility towards the future of our planet.
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| Activities |
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Infrastructure-based System Applications, outside Classroom
This includes actions taken at the management level that are required to give the concerned institution a more progressive environmentally-managed system. Under BTG, we closely look at the production and consumption patterns of the school that are linked to natural resources (for example, water, waste, and electricity, paper). The purpose is to sensitise the students as well as the school administration about the impact of their production and consumption patters on the larger ecology.
Curriculum applications, inside the Classroom
BTG is tailored according to various age-groups and involves a non-textbook approach to environment education. It has a non-linear pedagogy and steers away from a ‘Yet another Course’ outlook. The non-textbook approach focuses more on experiential learning as the course uses films, multimedia presentations, flash cards, journals and field trips as methods of teaching. The field trips organized as part of BTG can be one or more of the following:
Night Out:
An excursion through the streets of Delhi at night to facilitate the understanding of the issue of homelessness.
Visit to a slum:
Understanding ‘Delhi,’ half of which lives in appalling conditions in slums and resettlement colonies.
Yamuna Walk:
Creating awareness about the pollution and problems of the river.
Trip to a landfill:
Seeing a landfill, an environmental disaster that gives livelihood to many.
Curriculum applications, outside Classroom
Based on the learning of the classroom sessions, BTG engages the students in the day-to-day operation of their respective schools and institution on environmental management by making brigades or committees around every issue which will have a clearly carved out action-plan. These bodies closely monitor the environmental status of the school and assess the impact of their intervention.
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| Get Involved |
| With consumerism and market economy becoming the driving force of our lives; these physical manifestations of development have disastrous consequences for the environment. |
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Donate Now!
Donate for a cause and make a diference in someone's life. |
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Volunteer
Rise up to the occassion when you're needed the most. |
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Intern
Participate in our internship programs. |
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