It is odd that we have so little relationship with nature, with the insects and the leaping frog, and the owl that hoots among the hills calling for its mate.
J Krishnamurti
Banner Picture: Art work by Vanshika Gupta, Class XII, 2016-17
The nature preserved in the campus provides a veritable background to nurture such sensitivity.
The holistic education that is being attempted at the school requires developing sensitivity in the children to everything around. The nature preserved in the campus provides a veritable background to nurture such sensitivity. With natural growth keenly preserved over decades, the campus represents Varanasi in its original pristine state. Over 80 species of birds inhabit the campus apart from several species of animals, reptiles and insects. The atmosphere provides space for children to engage in introspection and solitary walks.
We have continuous conversations at class and hostel level about the need to conserve energy.
Energy conservation is a major theme in the campus. We have installed a 100 KVA solar plant that produces almost 100% of day time power requirements for most of the months of the year thus reducing our carbon footprint substantially. Children have benefited from the infrastructure through guided tours of the facility. Apart from it, we have continuous conversation at class and hostel level about the need to conserve energy through simple steps like switching off utilities not required, sharing resources and using less intensive alternatives. Our power demand on the utility overall has dropped by over 25% thanks to these steps.
At the school, we teach children the virtue of waste as a resource through recycling at various levels.
The world is awash in waste. Not learning from nature, man has condemned what he has no need for as waste. At the school, we teach children the virtue of waste as a resource through recycling at various levels. Art work consistently use recycled material like old paper, used furniture, discarded plastic and old stationery. The school purchase policy emphasizes reduction of plastic items and bulk purchasing. In addition, we have implemented a near zero waste segregation policy whereby 100% of waste gets collected, segregated for useful items and sent for recycling. Children participated enthusiastically in the project which has won the attention of the Municipality of Varanasi.
The campus recycles 100% of food waste back into either food for cows or to make vermi-compost which inturn is applied to our kitchen garden that children work on.
Demonstrating the food cycle to children is important to appreciate nature’s recycling habits as well as reduce waste. The campus recycles 100% of food waste back into either food for cows or to make vermi-compost which inturn is applied to our kitchen garden that children work on. They are hence able to visualize how food creates food thereby providing life lessons on recycling. The compost is also sold to the market. We also compost the dry leaves in the campus through wet composting. The Centre owns a dairy of 80 cows that is part of the recycling network as organic manure, consumer of crop residues and provider of organic milk.