GUIDELINES FOR YOUTH AND ECO - CLUBS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-21

About Youth and Eco clubs:

Youth clubs in schools are an instrument to develop life skills, build self esteem, develop self confidence and resilience and counter negative emotions of stress, shame and fear. Eco clubs in schools will empower students to participate and take up meaningful environmental activities and projects. It is a forum through which students can reach out to influence, engage their parents and neighbourhood communities to promote sound environmental behaviour. It will empower students to explore environmental concepts and actions beyond the confines of a syllabus or curriculum.

Target group:

• Students would be the direct target group. It will mainly involve the students who are studying in Primary, Upper Primary and secondary schools in 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh. The students will be judged by the extent of their relevance in the society as well as the interest shown by him/her towards the “Youth and Eco-Clubs”.

• It will also include Teachers and retired teachers, Parents of, Employers of youth (if any), Local People’s representatives, Bureaucrats, Local opinion leaders, Media Workers, Civil Society Organizations, Local community directly concerned with behaviour problems of youth.Programme Monitoring and Evaluation:

• The Principal/Head Master/Head teacher will be in-charge of the Youth and Eco club. One teacher will be assigned as a nodal person on rotation basis,who would stay back after school hours to facilitate the youth and eco club activities.

• Monitoring activity includes measuring the physical performances and quality of the work done with the set objectives and the set plans and timetables. Evaluation will be jointly held with all stakeholders including, donors, and community elders in the school area, beneficiaries, and relevant government counterparts.

• To establish an Eco Club covering school children to create awareness about the environment and to improve and to take necessary steps to protect the environment.

Role of the Teacher

• A teacher will be selected from each school to this program 

and orientation training will be given to the identified teachers on Youth and Eco club activities.

• The teachers have to be motivated and create awareness on Youth andEco- Clubs to the students and Community members by conducting different activities on environmental awareness programs and youth club activities in their respective and other schools.

Youth and Eco-Clubs:

At elementary level the clubs will be constituted to take up various activities such as debates, music, arts, reading, physical activities, etc.

Youth Clubs:

• Youth clubs will help in utilizing the idle school infrastructure in particular, playing fields, sports equipments and libraries after school hours for productive activities which will help students pursue their own interests and develop self-confidence as they explore their talents. This would alsoimprove enrolment as well as retention.

• Life skills,

• Build Self Esteem,

• Develop Self Confidence and resilience

• Counter negative emotions of stress, shame and fear

• Leadership qualities

Eco-Clubs:

• Eco-clubs in the schools would create a platform for experiential learning enabling understanding concepts of science & technology, bio-medical knowledge.
• Eco-Clubs to carry out activities to promote awareness and interest inEnvironment, Biodiversity, Climate and Local Ecology, Nutrition, Health, Sanitation and Hygiene.
• They can utilise parents, retired govt. Servants, retired teachers to coach children and spent time with them.
• Solid waste disposal 
• Help in pollution control
• Working on the prevention of the shortage of water 
• Tree plantation in schools 
• Awareness to stop the wastage of waterM
• Maintain School Medicinal/Herbal Gardens and vegetable farms 
• Dig Composed Pits. 
• Tree plantation work in schools and cleanliness activities in schools 
• Create awareness about personal hygiene e.g. to wash hands before meal, to cut nails, to keep food-after covered, not create dirt.Etc
• Conduct Environment related inter competitions and debates to the Students.e.g. Painting competition, essay writing competition, debates, etc. 
• Celebrate festivals like world environment day, van mahostav, forest day, etc.

Outcome:

• Engaging with new friends and being in a productive environment helps strengthen confidence and independence.

• Developing and succeeding in new activities helps build character and enhance strong leadership skills.

• Realizing they’re good at something boosts a child’s enthusiasm and confidence in the classroom

• Youth club will help in utilizing the idle school infrastructure in particular, playing fields, sports equipments and libraries after school hours for productive activities which will help students pursue their own interests and develop self 

confidence as they explore their talents.

• It would also improve enrolment as well as retention.Orientation to Teachers:

• The approach in this regard is to reach up to schools by planning of the Orientation at the district level. The districts may prepare material on the activities that may be taken up by Youth and Eco-Clubs.