Eco-art with Schools!

Last week we had two fun interactive in-school activities with students from Zydus and Shanti Asiatic! On Tuesday, we met with students from Zydus School during their elective hours to decorate the bins we brought them for the waste-collection drives. For the first hour, we painted with a group of kids in classes 6 and 7, followed by students in classes 8 and 9 during the second hour. These students have a variety of electives to choose from- such as dance, carpentry, sports, literary club, etc- but have chosen to dedicate their time to environmental awareness. It’s awesome to see them go out of their way for this cause when they have so many other options and I think it will be powerful for their peers to learn about recycling and our waste-collection drive through their fellow students rather than just listening to a presentation by us. Once the bins are decorated, the students are going to find the best place for them in the school that will attract maximum usage, and create a poster campaign to encourage other students to recycle.

The following day we met with the eco-club at Shanti Asiatic school for a craft event with our Gift of Change sisters! Similar to the group at Zydus, these students have chosen among various electives to learn about recycling and the environment. After we explained a bit about Gift of Change, our sisters demonstrated how to paint the bottles and the students started making their own piggy banks. It was a lot of fun and I think it was great to have our sisters come along to give the students a more real sense of the project. The plan is to have at least three more activities with this group creating different items from recycled waste. At the end of the semester, the students have an exhibition to show their parents and peers what they’ve made and learned in eco-club. I’m very hopeful for the momentum of our project’s message among these students when these kids are learning eco-friendliness as a part of their curriculum at an early age and we’re excited to continue working with them!