www.kidsrgreen.org (also known as kidsRgreen, kRg)is a monthly online magazine for children developed and run by Centre for Environment Education. kRg (www.kidsrgreen.org) uses the power of World Wide Web to facilitate and support learning about the environment, and for the environment. It takes children beyond classroom and textbooks. It encourages hands-on approach of engagement.

Vision

kidsRgreen envisions disseminating information and knowledge, enhancing skills, fostering appropriate attitudes and values, and sharing action ideas and initiatives, through the internet medium—all of which are critical and integral to Environmental Education (EE)and learning for Sustainable Development (SD).

kidsRgreen is an initiative that aims to derive the benefits of computer literacy by mainstreaming the use of websites as educational resources and introduce educational websites as integral to teaching-learning in formal, non-formal and informal learning situations.

Objectives

To develop, produce and disseminate prototype web based EE and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) material.

To utilize and derive advantage of the internet medium in giving messages of environmental significance through interactive games.

To provide information, awaken interest, raise awareness and encourage proactive environmental engagement by providing information about significant environmental days and their themes.

To enable teachers to effectively utilize the internet resource kidsRgreen as a complementary/supplementary educational resource while transacting curriculum.

Goals

• To carry out offline activity workshops with schools/children and teachers to encourage the use of kidsRgreen as a educational resource.

• To make the web magazine popular among students and teachers.

• To orient teachers to using websites including kidsRgreen as a resources to aid in curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

• To disseminate CD ROMs of the archival material of kidsRgreen for use in schools and by students for offline purposes.

• To orient trainee-teachers to the new pedagogic approach of web based educational resource use

• To design new, interesting, interactive and engaging online games with environmental messages.

• To liaison with other media like newspapers and magazines in promoting the use of kidsRgreen.

Centre for Environment Education (CEE) is a national institution of excellence for environmental education supported by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, India. Established in 1984, it is affiliated to the Nehru Foundation for Development.

The main objective of CEE is to create environmental awareness among children, youth, decision makers and the general community. CEE is engaged in developing innovative programmes and materials to increase awareness and concern, leading to action, regarding the environment and sustainable development. CEE field-tests programmes and educational materials for validity and effectiveness. The aim is to provide models that could be easily replicable to suit local conditions.

The work method adopted draws upon both traditional and modern knowledge systems, and employs a range of techniques and technologies of communication and networking to achieve its objectives. The strategy is to collaborate with others to build synergies, achieve a multiplier effect, enhance effectiveness and widen the range of programmes.

CEE recognizes the importance of information dissemination to various stakeholders including children, youth, educators, researchers, policy makers, professionals and government and non-government organizations regarding issues and concepts of EE and ESD. CEE uses the internet media to achieve a wider reach, and serve as a useful platform of learning, sharing and expression. CEE hosts about 18 websites. www.kidsrgreen.org is a website for teachers and children.

kidsRgreen is one such initiative to develop and disseminate reliable instructional and enrichment material especially designed for students. The web magazine and all other materials developed, including those for teachers and children are developed through a rigorous process of research, review and comments by experts, trials with students, teachers, and communities.

EE and ESD organizations , education departments, teacher training institutes, Open and Distance Learning initiatives that work for enhancing computer literacies, introducing new pedagogies for teachers and those motivating environmental action can take up such projects.

We live in the information age. The new media has revolutionized the way information is available and accessed. Increasingly, CD ROMs and the World Wide Web are becoming an important and indispensable reference resource for students and teachers.

Teachers and schools play an important role in introducing students to use self learning resources like websites. More so, educational websites provide the opportunity to enrich textbook learning.

However, there is an overload of information on the web. It is often difficult to look for information that is correct, relevant, current, and presented without any bias. Utmost care is required while introducing children to resources on the web. It is important for the teacher to choose and sieve relevant information on the web and use it effectively. Thus, teachers on their part need to intelligently complement and supplement these resources in transacting the curriculum.

A web resource developed and designed by CEE is www.kidsrgreen.org. kidsRgreen is an innovative and interactive environmental education programme that harnesses new media to motivate, facilitate and support learning for environmental action. It takes children beyond classroom and textbooks and encourages independent learning.

The programme currently consists of the website and face-to-face orientation programmes with schools, teachers and children. The face-to-face interaction introduces the use of websites as an educational resource, the many ways to complement students learning and discusses the pros and cons of using web resources.

In the year 2007, Over 1000 students, 13 schools, 79 teachers and 20 journalists in five locations of India—Pune, Goa, Lucknow, Alirajpur and Ahmedabad have been oriented about the website and its use as an educational resource.