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Also known as "Service Centre"
Keywords
Environment, Middle School, Alternative, Education, Rural, Resource Center, Teacher Training, Network, Learning Aids & Books, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Micro Enterprise
Geographical Location
Kolkata, West Bengal
Languages
English, Hindi, Bengali
Philosophy/Beliefs
Development Research Communication and Services Centre, DRCSC's work as a resource, information, communication and training centre on socio-economic development commenced about 25 years ago. During last 15 years the emphasis has been on Food and Livelihood security through Sustainable Agriculture & Natural Resource Management. In the course it's work, it has been discovered that many farmers and villagers, especially those of younger generation, do not carefully observe and record several natural processes. As a result they do not utilize/manage many of the natural resources easily available in the environs of their villages properly. We felt that, in addition to training the farmers about sustainable farming, we should also train the citizens of tomorrow, the children & adolescents. We extended our work in urban areas too.
Work Description
Pretext
- Education, especially science education, brought down to chalk duster oriented rote learning and memorizing. Very minimum amount experimentation is practiced. It is far away from our day to day living. It became only information and knowledge based with thin linkages with skills like observation, data collection, analysis and communication skill.
- Environment education has no connection with understanding and respect on the interconnectivity of human & nature, it has only reference to some mega issues like ozone hole, global worming & polar bear and names of birds and trees.
- Initiatives in formal sector in the form of eco-clubs in each an every school and introducing environment science as a subject in curriculum to spread the awareness for protecting environment has come down to an orthodox text book and examination oriented cliched practice.
- Form network with schools, grass root NGOs involved in education and environment protection activities.
- Train up educators, teachers and social workers with various tools and concepts of group activity based, experiential, learner centric, reflective education, especially for application in the field of environment education.
- Village centric eco groups try to assess local ecological resources and related problems, participating in group based action research and awareness building on socio-ecological issues through regular activities and peer sharing. Basic scientific skills and understanding of various tools for observation, data collection & collation and communication are inculcated through this.
- Regular classes with the mainstream schools to generate sufficient interest in favour of protecting and nurturing nature and develop out alternative group based activity based transactional method.
- Raising school garden and promoting garden based learning.
- Imparting basic literacy, accountancy, data processing and communication skill by organising non school going adolescents in group. Along with basic education, adolescents engage themselves in scientific observation and experimentation in their day-to-day life. They are capacitated with locally suitable agro and natural resource based appropriate skill like nursery raising, handicrafts from bamboo/palm leaf, making debt palm juice cake, soap from locally available vegetable oil, vegetable cultivation, mushroom cultivation, herbal medicine etc. They are trained through apprenticeship, given scholarship and seed fund as loan to start their own business in group.
- Initiating village creches for 0-6 year's old children with nutrition garden and a play & learn space. Children are assisted to build social, natural, communication and logical skill through games and activities. A sumptuous nutritious meal is served with vegetable from the school garden and other staffs come from the parents in the form of egg, paddy, potato etc. Mothers are assisted to raise their own kitchen garden, save money, grains & seeds in group for the stressful period. There are regular literacy classes in the evening for them. There are nutrition education sessions so that they can take care of the health and nutrition of the family too.
- Creative lesson plan series on Tree, Insect, Medicinal Plant, Water, Rice, Bird, Fish, Vegetable, Waste, Energy and Local Market - are essentially a series for the teacher and educators with the compiled work of the children. Can readily be used with the children.
- A teacher's guidebook on EVS for class VI-VIII with worksheet, projects, home work and alternative text.
- Detailed biodiversity register of 20 villages done by the children.
- Various research work done by the children.
- Design of school garden and school garden based lesson plans.
- A resource material kit on Social Insect with a film, poster, calendar, workbook and teacher's manual.
- Booklet series: Science around us (Kitchen, Garden, Chemicals we use, Communication, Construction)
- Innumerous numbers of chart and poster designed and generated by the children.
- A bunch of dedicated youth and children environment protectors with wonderful scientific and communication skill
- A bunch of teachers' trainer, teachers and educators who know the methods and can act as resource persons.
Contact Information
Anshuman Das
Development Research Communication and Services Centre
58A, Dharmotola Road, Bosepukur, Kasba
Kolkata, West Bengal 700042
Phone: (033) 2442 7311
Website Links
http://www.drcsc.org