Pune School Turns 2,000 Kids Into Sustainability Champions

When the exhibits were packed away at EuroSchool Kharadi in Pune, Principal Afreen Kazi Sheikh noticed something unexpected. Children who had visited the sustainability exhibition kept asking questions, kept thinking, and eventually started making changes at home.

The exhibition was part of Shashwat Bharat Setu, a mobile learning initiative that brings sustainability displays directly to schools instead of waiting for students to visit museums. Since launching in February 2024, the program has reached over 28,000 people including 3,500 students across communities.

Over 2,000 students and parents walked through demonstrations on composting, water conservation, renewable energy, and waste management that Saturday in mid-2024. The school had converted its large cafeteria into an interactive learning space where children could touch exhibits and ask experts questions face to face.

The real magic happened afterwards. Thirteen-year-old Ayush Chowdhury started paying attention to waste at home, switched to a reusable water bottle, and became conscious about turning off lights. Nine-year-old Aviraj Singh was fascinated by watching food scraps transform into compost that could return to soil.

For Sheikh, this was exactly what environmental education needed. "You cannot engage children with minimal talk," she explains. "When you actually do something practically, when you get the feel of it, then you are never going to forget it."

The school already taught about climate change and environmental responsibility through clubs and activities. But connecting those big concepts to daily choices required something more tangible, something students could see working in real time.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a single Saturday event created waves that kept spreading. Students approached teachers with their own ideas about reducing plastic use and saving water. Some wanted to start composting projects at school.

The initiative showed that sustainability education works best when it leaves the classroom. Meeting experts, seeing demonstrations, and understanding how small actions add up gave these children tools they could use immediately.

The mobile format means the program can reach schools that might not have resources for permanent sustainability centers. It brings the learning experience to where children already are.

From a school that started with 200 online students during lockdown, EuroSchool Kharadi has grown to over 2,800 students who now see sustainability as something they can practice, not just study.