Mathrubhumi’s SEED (Student Empowerment for Environmental Development) project with a network of 8,432 schools in Kerala and over 2.90 million participating students in the year 2020-21 has shown considerable growth since its inception in the year 2009. SEED, which has successfully entered the thirteenth year is supported by the Federal Bank Ltd. COVID-19 pandemic not only presents critical threat
to school education but also presents specific, potentially irreversible and long-term threats to environmental education – which requires numerous cognitive and collective outdoor work by the SEED students. As policy makers, administrators and Governments cancelled all environmental engagement opportunities by adjusting for pandemic conditions, SEED in the last year [2020-21] re-invented its activities to ensure continuity and consistency in environmental education and conservation of environment through school children braving the pandemic, which shook the economies of the world. Nature-rich experiences are more necessary than ever before for the social, physical, and emotional well-being of a digitally glued generation, mandated by online classrooms. Since its inception in 2009, SEED has demonstrated that children in their early childhood absorb and get influenced by the stimuli around them. SEED not only provided opportunities to learn directly about environment protection but also has proved and documented social-emotional, physical and societal benefits. Harnessing the creativity and expertise of the SEED team led by the SEED volunteers and teacher co-ordinators, we re-envisioned SEED during pandemic times through innovative methods in environmental education and environmental conservation not only through online sessions but also through various closer-to-home settings, out of the box activities and innovative learning. SEED teachers were uniquely equipped to engage the young ones and their families in online learning opportunities, support and connect with local and community based learning outside the online classroom and leverage closer-to-home outdoor space in enriching knowledge about environment. Covid-19 economic shifts brought pay cuts and lay-offs to many of the institutions, but Mathrubhumi SEED took the pandemic induced recession by the horn and what could turn out be a trauma for students was transformed into an opportunity for supporting kids in a way that are not only enjoyable but also leading to exploration of ideas metamorphosing Environment education from a “nice to have” to a “need to have” lasting structure which went on to broaden the array of learning opportunities not only among SEED students but also the society at large. SEED in the previous academic year [2020-21], supported the youth in developing actionable solutions for a more positive future by well-equipping and training them for working effectively under challenging, dynamic and unpredictable conditions. That in a nutshell is SEED combating the pandemic-battered school education. SEED is not merely the conveyance of knowledge but a process of learning and transformation. SEED has impressively demonstrated as to how the young minds have internalised environmentally responsible behaviour. For example, during the last 12 years as many as 16,85,784 saplings were planted, out of which 8,43,956 saplings have been protected as on date. SEED students have harvested 3,95,363.50 kgs. of vegetables and 5,93,582 kgs. of fruits in the past 12 years. 53,568 campaigns; 40,979 rallies; 61,190 poster exhibitions and 54,946 seminars focusing on environmental protection were carried out by the students in the last 11 years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and during the last year [2020-21] 6,250 online webinars were held across Kerala. 9,424 study tours and nature camps were conducted for SEED students. SEED schools have conserved 62 lakh litres of water and remediated several water bodies saving innumerable quantities of fresh water. SEED students have collected around 5 lakhs kilograms of clean and dry plastic waste and sent it for recycling after properly segregating them in the past twelve years.
