Assam: Five schools awarded for greening efforts in "Mission Prakriti" by WWF & SSA

Guwahati: Five schools in Assam received recognition for their outstanding environmental efforts under the "Mission Prakriti" program.

This collaborative initiative between WWF-India and Samagra Shiksha, Assam, aims to create green schools, educate students about environmental issues and instil values and skills for a sustainable future.

The award ceremony, held at the State Mission Office and coinciding with World Wetland Day, celebrated the achievements of over 10,000 schools and 50,000 student leaders actively involved in the program.

Mission Prakriti, launched in August 2023, focused on five key themes: biodiversity, water, waste, food, and energy.

By engaging students in these areas, the program "empowered" them to become stewards of the planet.

Over 3,200 ICT schools across all 33 districts of Assam participated, with 768 completing all program steps and submitting evidence of their environmental transformations.

Through a rigorous evaluation process based on scientific rubrics and video submissions, five schools emerged as the top performers for 2023-24.

The schools were Dibrugarh Government Girls' HS & MP School, Joktali Higher Secondary School (Sivasagar), Nutan Kanchanpur ME School (Cachar), Dandua MV School (Morigaon) and Dawson HS & MP School (Nagaon).

Additionally, Dibrugarh district was recognized as the Best District for showcasing exceptional commitment to the program's goals, with the highest percentage of schools completing the Mission Prakriti movement.

The award ceremony, graced by dignitaries like Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta (Advisor, Education), Dr Om Prakash (Mission Director, SSA), Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya (State Coordinator WWF-India AAPSO), Prof Ranjit Choudhury (Chairperson WWF-India Assam Advisory Board), MC Malakar (Sr Advisor WWF-India & Ex-PCCF Wildlife) and other officials from both the organizations.

served as a platform to acknowledge the impact of Mission Prakriti in empowering future generations.

Winning schools, coordinating teachers, and top 10 district nodal officers received trophies, citations, prizes, and WWF mementoes from the Chief Guest and other guests.

Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta praised WWF-India for its impactful contribution and stressed the need for conservation efforts to protect water reservoirs and critical habitats for migratory birds.

Dr Om Prakash emphasized raising awareness about climate change and global warming, appreciating the program's reach into communities through green schools.