::CPREEC::

Green School Award – Chennai Region for the year 2010

Dr. Swaminathan also presented the Green School Award – Chennai Region for the year 2010 to, Sri R.K.M. Sarada Vidyalaya Model Higher Secondary School, Burkit Road, T. Nagar, Chennai for its green initiatives. The award was received by the school’s Headmistress Mrs. Kannaki Prabhakaran along with some students.

Globe Teachers Workshop

Ms. Corinna Ybarra Arnold addressing the participants during the Inaugural session of the GLOBE workshop

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC) in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General, Chennai conducted a 2-days GLOBE Teachers Training Workshop on August 6 & 7, 2010 at the CPREEC Convention Centre, Alwarpet, Chennai. 34 schools (57 participants) from across the city participated in the workshop. The objective of the workshop was to introduce the GLOBE programme and its protocols to the teachers.

C.P.R.Environmental Education Centre Award for Environmental Education – 2010

C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC) received the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar for the year 1996 in September 2000. The award included a silver lotus trophy, a citation and a cash prize of Rupees One Lakh. Using the cash award as corpus, the Board of Governors of the C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre decided to institute an annual C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre Award for Environmental Education. The annual award is given to a teacher, who has contributed to the field of environmental education, preferably from a rural area. The award consists of a silver plaque, a citation, as well as a cash prize.
The tenth award function was held on July 31, 2010. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, CPREEC, gave away the C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre Award for Environmental Education - 2010 to Shri. Bency Joy, a teacher from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in recognition of his contribution to environmental conservation through education.

Kompassionate Kids Programme - Workshop for Teachers

Encouraged by the success of the pilot phase undertaken in some schools early this year, C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC) launched Phase II of Kompassionate Kids. With a view to sensitise the teachers first about animal cruelty issues and the link between food choices and environmental damage, a one-day teachers’ training workshop was organized at CPREEC Convention Centre, Chennai on Friday, July 09, 2010.

The workshop was attended by 44 school teachers from 24 city schools.

The inaugural programme began with an invocation in Tamil, which reiterated that there is only one earth and it is our foremost duty to safeguard our environment and also all plants and animals.

The gathering was welcomed by Dr. T. Sundaramoorthy, Head – Biodiversity Conservation, CPREEC. This was followed by an introduction to the Kompassionate Kids Programme by Dr. Nanditha Krishna, Hon. Director, CPREEC. She reiterated on the important role that teachers could play in changing the attitudes of children towards animals.

The Phase-II of the Kompassionate Kids Programme was launched by Maj.Gen. (Retd.) Dr. R. M. Kharb, Chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India, by lighting the Kuthu Vilakku, the traditional oil lamp. This is believed to signify the spread of knowledge. In his inaugural address, Maj.Gen.Kharb talked about how animal farming has become a business and most animals are being treated as profit-making machines.

Maj.Gen.(Retd.) Dr.R.M.Kharb addressing the gathering

Presentations titled 'Non-violence Towards Nature — Through Vegetarianism' and 'Prevention and Control of Rabies' were made by Ms. Lalitha Ramadurai, Sr. Programme Officer, CPREEC and Ms. Siaw Yean Woon, President, Animal Welfare Society of the University of Sydney, Australia, respectively. The presentations were interspersed by team activities – “Animal Cruelties”, a presentation prepared by Mr.Nicholas Rowan and Ms.R.Sridevi and Design a Campaign. The teachers showed great enthusiasm in participating in the activities. Resource materials were provided to all the participants including a booklet titled ‘A-Z of Animal Cruelties’, CD containing the presentation ‘Non-violence Towards Nature’ and a list of suggested animal welfare activities they could carry out in their schools.

Ms.Siaw Yean Woon making a presentation about Control of Rabies

The teachers were also taken to the animal shelter at the Blue Cross of India. Mr. Don Williams, Resident General Manager at the shelter explained to the teachers about the activities of the Blue Cross.

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