Educating Climate Change from an Early Age, This is the Steps of KKNT Innovation Team of IPB University in Bunder Village

Facing the increasingly real impact of climate change, early environmental education is crucial. The IPB University Innovation Real-Thematic Work Lecture (KKNT) team implemented the ‘Realize Climate Change Early’ program.

This program focuses on the introduction of climate, its impact, and how to mitigate it, with the main emphasis on waste types in three elementary schools in Bunder Village, Widasari District, Indramayu Regency, West Java. This activity aims to instill awareness and waste management skills in children as a first step towards environmentally friendly behavior.

Naqiya Salsabila as the person in charge of the program said that the target students in this program are grades 3 and 4. Through multimedia presentations, children are introduced to the types of waste.

“This activity not only aims to educate children about the types of waste but also measure their understanding through a post-test to evaluate the effectiveness of the program,” Naqiya said.

Muhammad Ichsan Hafidz, KKNT Innovation village coordinator, said the results of the post-test showed a significant increase in understanding of the types of waste and how to manage them. 

“This indicates that the educational approach, which includes seminars, practices and creative games, has succeeded in increasing environmental awareness among students,” he said.

In addition to socialisation, the activities also focused on educational games and creative competitions. Students actively participated in games such as the ‘Sorting Challenge’ through waste sorting cards that tested their accuracy in sorting waste types.  

The activity ended with an outbound activity of making garbage cans from plastic gallon waste. Students were divided into groups and participated in painting the trash cans based on the knowledge gained from the materials presented during the socialisation session.  

Through this initiative, the KKNT Innovation IPB University team not only teaches students about waste management but also equips them with practical skills that can be applied in everyday life. In addition, it is hoped that students can become agents of change and help combat the impacts of climate change from an early age. (*/Lp/Rz) (IAAS/PRO)