Centre for Wildlife Studies Joins the Shikshagraha Movement to Embed Environmental Consciousness in India's Public Schools

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir) The Shikshagraha movement, a nationwide people-powered effort to improve all one million public schools in India, took a significant stride today as the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) formally joined the movement at Shiksha Samvaad, a convening hosted at the Bangalore International Centre. With this, CWS becomes a lead contributor to advancing environmental consciousness as an essential dimension of education quality, climate readiness and children’s well-being. The move signals growing recognition that preparing India’s young citizens for the future requires strengthening their relationship with nature, wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on. Highlights from Shiksha Samvaad The event brought together educators, conservationists, policymakers and school system leaders to reflect on how environmental consciousness can become a defining component of education quality in India. The Samvaad marked the launch of several movement-wide assets: • Centre for Wildlife Studies officially joins the Shikshagraha movement, advancing shared efforts to embed environmental consciousness in education. • Educator Guidebook (Vol.I) released for implementation within Karnataka’s curriculum. The Wild Shaale Educator’s Guidebook is a simple, activity-based resource that helps teachers bring environmental learning into everyday classroom practice. Built through years of field experience, it offers easy, hands-on activities that encourage children to explore nature, ask questions, and connect with local wildlife. Designed for educators of all backgrounds, it supports small yet meaningful actions that build environmental awareness as a natural part of school culture. • The Education Toolkit includes detailed Standard Operating Procedures for the Modular Asset and Solution Design frameworks, offering clear guidance to teachers and facilitators using the Educator Guidebook for effective implementation. “These resources will strengthen not only classrooms but also the communities that surround them. Environmental consciousness isn't just about conservation, it's about building sustainable livelihoods, responsible citizenship, and a deeper connection between young people and the ecosystems they depend on. When we invest in environmental education, we're investing in the resilience and well-being of entire communities,” said Shruti Shibulal, Permanent Trustee, The Shibulal Family Philanthropy Initiatives (a co-builder of the Shikshagraha Movement) and Executive Vice Chair, Tamara Leisure Experiences. A movement for environment-first schooling Shikshagraha’s core belief is that no single actor can drive systemic change alone. The movement brings together communities, civil society organisations, educators, governments and social innovators to collectively improve public schools. By joining Shikshagraha, CWS will contribute its decades of conservation science, community engagement and environmental education expertise to strengthen the movement’s work across districts, states and partner networks. Over the coming year, CWS will support the movement by: • Co-creating environmental education and sustainability resources with the Shikshagraha Centre of Excellence (CoE) team, ensuring contextual relevance for diverse geographies. • Leading the Environment Sub-Collective, embedding wildlife awareness, sustainability, and climate action across the movement’s partners’ work. • Building capacity of grassroots organisations to integrate environmental principles into their programmes. • Supporting small changes in Mysuru district as part of the Exemplary Shikshagraha Intervention, a ground-level demonstration of how the vision and values of the Shikshagraha movement translate into tangible impact. “After nearly a decade in the wildlife conservation space, one thing has become very clear to me: protecting our natural world cannot rest on the shoulders of a few people working full-time in this sector. Conservation is a shared responsibility, something each of us must carry in our daily choices and actions. Through our collaboration with Shikshagraha, we now have an incredible opportunity to take this message to thousands of children and schools across the country. By nurturing environmental awareness early on, we’re helping build a generation that not only understands India’s rich biodiversity but also feels responsible for safeguarding it,” said Sahil Pimpale Program Manager, Wild Shaale. A shared narrative for the next generation As part of the movement, CWS will contribute insights from its Wild Shaale programme, best practices in conservation education, proof points demonstrating the impact of environmental consciousness on children’s learning and agency and stories from the field. In turn, Shikshagraha’s movement-wide platforms — from micro-improvement pilots to solutions repository and public communications — will amplify