OUR IMPACT

The GCEI team members are deeply committed to driving the urgent need for transformative change worldwide.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Capacity development is essential for empowering youth to act on climate change. GCEI considers capacity building for young people as a critical component of their climate work. GCEI provides students in grades 8-12 with the opportunities to build the knowledge, skills, values, and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality. It empowers learners of all ages to make informed decisions and take individual and collective action to change society and care for the planet. It enhances the cognitive, socioemotional and behavioral dimensions of learning and encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment itself.

NETWORKING

GCEI is an innovative platform connecting youth from all over the world to enhance cooperation and upscale youth-led climate action and research, bringing about the personal and societal transformation that is necessary to change course.

As 2024, GCEI comprises a community of more than +200 young people from more than 10 countries.

Environmental education is happening in organizations around the world, in many sectors, and in many forms. GCEI is working to partner with national, regional, and global organizations working on environmental education to join efforts and provide schools and students with more opportunities.

During these 2 years of the GCEI program with 8 schools, the GCEIers have come up with some of the following ideas and their implementations:

2021-2022 Cohort (Water):

Students were invited to research issues affecting Water Resources; find sustainable alternatives to issues of availability of water, of clean drinking water, and create an awareness in the larger community.

The students of Doon International Public School started a drive where they tried to eliminate the use of plastic bags as they found after research that it was the biggest pollutant for River Ganga. They found a replacement for plastic bags and decided to use cloth bags instead of the harmful plastic bags. The students made cloth bags by themselves at school and even inspired other students to do the same. The students went to all the classes and informed them about the usefulness of cloth bags. With their initiative, many students came forward and also made cloth bags. On a bigger scale, the GCEIers are planning to make their campus a plastic free zone.

The students also prepared a play to spread awareness around the need to stop polluting the river Ganga. The students performed this play at Triveni Ghat, Rishikesh where people gathered to see it. They even filmed it and posted it on social media so that it can be seen by others. The GCEIers talked to the local people and urged them not to throw garbage in local water bodies. One of the students even convinced the local authorities and arranged for the garbage van for her locality so that the people can stop throwing garbage all around. They also created social media handles on Instagram and Facebook with the name ” BHAVYA BHAGIRATH” and they are collectively trying to spread awareness.

2022-2023 Cohort (Food):

Students explored the underlying causes of food scarcity, be it war, natural disasters, or climate change. They examined food wastage in their own environment and took steps to mitigate it, by creating awareness in the community. They also started composting projects in their schools.

Annfield School decided to explore the Midday Meal Scheme prevalent all over India. The GCEI students of Annfield school visited a government school nearby and were impressed enough to speak about the value of nutritious food and the dangers of junk food to the whole school. They then made sure that their schoolmates carried a nutritious lunch to school.

The students of Doon International Public School were appalled by the wastage of food, especially during weddings and other celebrations. So they decided to create a street play to inform the community at large: