Strengthening Educator Capacity in Greening Education Across 12 Districts of Himachal

Himachal Pradesh, 25 August 2026: Under the HP FUTURES project, three Greening Education capacity-building workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Government of Himachal Pradesh and UNESCO. The workshops brought together Eco-Club Coordinators from all 199 PM SHRI schools across 12 districts, providing educators with practical approaches to make environmental learning more structured, experiential and relevant to everyday classroom practice.

The three two-day batches were held in Solan (24-25 July), Mandi (21-22 August), and Kangra (24-25 August 2026), with 60, 69, and 67 participants respectively.

Across the three batches, educators were introduced to the Eco Club for Mission LiFE Activity Calendar (2026-27) and the Greening Education Toolkit, which provide schools with practical activities and a structured approach to environmental learning. The sessions encouraged teachers to explore how environmental concepts can be integrated into regular teaching and learning.

A key component of the sessions was the PLANTS framework, which provided educators with a structured approach to plan, facilitate and reflect on environmental learning activities, while connecting them with classroom learning and encouraging sustainable behaviours. Participants used the framework to explore six toolkit activities. Rather than simply discussing the activities, educators experienced them as learners before taking on the role of facilitators and presenting them to their peers. This hands-on approach helped participants understand how the activities could be adapted and implemented with learners.

The programme also featured the EcoGame Innovator Challenge, through which educators developed original green games and learning experiences using the PLANTS framework. The strongest ideas will be considered for inclusion in the Teacher Changemaker Book and for possible implementation in schools. Participants also mapped toolkit activities against Himachal Pradesh’s Green School Quality Standard (GSQS) action points and were introduced to a common Eco Club Register to strengthen the documentation of activities across schools.

“Greening Education is not only about creating awareness among students; it is about helping them develop everyday habits and a sense of responsibility towards their environment. Through this initiative, our teachers are being equipped with practical tools to bring environmental learning into classrooms and Eco-Club activities in meaningful ways. With Eco-Club Coordinators from all 199 PM SHRI schools across the 12 districts being upskilled, we are taking an important step towards making sustainability a more visible and integral part of school education in Himachal Pradesh.”

Shri Rajesh Sharma (IFS), State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Himachal Pradesh

“This workshop gave me a new perspective on how Eco-Club activities can be planned and implemented. I learnt how to organise activities month by month, encourage greater student participation, and connect them with the school curriculum. Earlier, we had not made these connections consciously. Now, when I return to my classroom, I want to involve more students and make environmental learning a meaningful part of what they are already learning.” Pratima Verma, Eco-Club Coordinator, PM SHRI Government Senior Secondary School, Ghumarwin, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh

Teachers also shared examples of how environmental learning can influence everyday behaviour. Shruti Devi, Eco-Club Coordinator at PM Shri Govt Centre Primary School Baddi, Solan, shared how explaining the link between trees, oxygen and paper helped students reduce unnecessary tearing of notebook pages and encouraged them to remind their peers to do the same.

“Greening Education is most meaningful when it moves beyond awareness and becomes part of how learners learn, think and act every day. Across these three batches, we have seen teachers engage with Greening Education not simply as a set of activities, but as an opportunity to rethink how environmental learning can become part of everyday classroom practice. By equipping teachers with practical, experiential approaches and helping them connect environmental learning with the curriculum, UNESCO hopes they will take these ideas back to their schools, involve more and encourage sustainable behaviours in their daily lives. Our vision is to see these practices grow beyond individual Eco-Club activities and become part of a wider culture of sustainability across schools in Himachal Pradesh.” Joyce Poan, Programme Specialist and Chief of Education, UNESCO India

With the completion of all three batches, Eco-Club Coordinators from all 199 PM SHRI schools across 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh have been upskilled in Greening Education. The programme has equipped educators with practical tools and approaches to integrate environmental learning into classroom teaching and Eco-Club activities, strengthening the foundation for its continued implementation across schools.