Celebrated worldwide on June 5th, World Environment Day is a means of raising awareness about the importance of caring for nature

The environment is so vital to life on Earth that it has its own day: World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5th to raise awareness about environmental threats. Understanding the significance of this date and its importance is essential for promoting environmental awareness, especially during children’s education. It is crucial to celebrate this date starting from school education, contributing to the building of environmental awareness that will last into adulthood.

Aiming to bring environmental awareness from childhood, the Ramacrisna Institute in Betim celebrated World Environment Day with a special program for the students of CAER (Ramacrisna Educational Support Center). With the slogan “Our Earth. Our Future. We are the #GenerationRestoration,” the activities combined fun and learning in a nature-surrounded environment.

Special Program and Practical Learning

The celebrations began with a walk along the Institute’s EcoTrail, where students had the opportunity to connect with nature and learn more about the importance of environmental preservation. Besides the ecological trail, open to the public, Ramacrisna has a four-hectare area of preserved cerrado forest. During the walk, the instructors explained the importance of World Environment Day, established by the United Nations (UN), and encouraged students to reflect on the urgent need to conserve our natural resources.

They also visited the Institute’s composting sector, where all organic waste generated in the kitchen and grass and foliage clippings are transformed into compost, which is then used in the organization’s gardens. “Environmental education is essential for forming conscious and responsible citizens. Our goal is to show children that small daily actions can significantly contribute to environmental conservation,” stated Solange Bottaro, vice-president of the Ramacrisna Institute. “This year’s theme reminds us that we are all part of the solution and that the restoration of our planet depends on each one of us.”

Besides the actions carried out on the commemorative date, various workshops are being developed with the students throughout the week, such as making musical instruments and educational toys, all made from recyclable materials. They also expressed what they learned by creating drawings on the digital whiteboard. “The whiteboard allows combining knowledge with technology, they learn while playing, and this generates greater interest and interactivity in activities. On this occasion, we worked with them on the theme of the environment, focusing on the slogan established this year by the UN,” explained CAER’s pedagogical coordinator, Janara Gomes.

Exhibition of Works

To wrap up the activities and appreciate the children’s learning, all the materials they created will be part of a special exhibition prepared for staff and the community next Friday, the 14th. “The proposal, besides integrating theory with practice, is to value the knowledge they acquired so that they understand the importance of actions for everyone, and there’s no better way to do this than to exhibit it to the people they interact with daily, who play an important role for them,” said Janara.

Environmental Responsibility

Environmental preservation actions at Ramacrisna are not limited to a single date. They are carried out throughout the year. Besides the composting work, the oils used in the mechanical school and the screen factory – both Institute projects, are separated and disposed of properly. The organization is also a collection point for electronic equipment, and those that cannot be repaired are sent to a company specialized in this type of disposal.