Mrs Shameem Singh
Convenor, VASUDHA International & Principal, Rajendra Nagar Campus II

Dear friends,

"The world is not ours, the Earth is not ours, It's a treasure we hold in trust for future generations."

An African proverb often quoted by world leaders as they plea for oneness of mankind.

It's about time we prioritize action oriented study to conserve this treasure and form a global community of like-minded people who are self motivated agents of change and can drive the world out of its problems.

As my utmost duty towards sustainable development of the planet that sustains me and billions others, I take this opportunity to invite all the schools to be active members of VASUDHA International - A Quest for Sustainable Development, a movement that will make us all rethink our lifestyles to sustain our planet for all the future generations.

The event will be an ongoing series of experiential learning school projects based on any 1 of the 5 essential elements Jal (Water), Vaayu (Air), Urja (energy), Vann ( Forests) and Kutumb (Community) that constitute the planet as a whole.

he students will have the freedom to select the area of study from a wide range of options under these categories and upload a synopsis for the self chosen topic as per the timeline.

The topic should be aligned with concepts and plans to achieve any 1 or more Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations and accepted by all nations of the world in order to have a progressive, sustainable and peaceful world by 2030.

A proactive session “Manthan” will be conducted by the organizers as per the timeline. The synopsis will be discussed in the first month. The subsequent session in the following month will give participants an opportunity to share the progress that their projects are making and nudge it a little as per the expert’s advice, if required, in order to achieve the desired outcomes.

They will record their study after they receive an approval based on the synopsis that they submit as per a template provided by the organisers. The teams whose synopsis are selected, will be informed via e-mail.

The selected teams will chronologically collate all the best practices (as videos or presentations) over a period of 40 days.

The final project will be submitted by the 30th of November in the prescribed format of SIPROSOL, (Situation-Problem-Solution).

The participants will be required to create a short documentary of the entire experiential learning project right from the concept, idea, research, groundwork, community interaction and support, sustainable values acquired/delivered and continuity of the project.

The students will also be evaluated on their creatives such as original poems, sketches, posters, streetplays, column write-ups or Youtube channels that they might have used to disseminate their ideas and work. The Event will inculcate scientific temper and build global citizenship values in our students and imbibe in them the skills to articulate their thoughts with a global rationale.

A social media platform will be designed for all the participants to collate their ideas and build on each others’ through collaboration.

The idea is to bring a coalition on table where like-minded people can constructively create a thought process that would inspire and drive our generations to become mindful and sustainable in their actions, both consciously as well as subconsciously.

Since this would be a one of its kind event, your suggestions and feedback would be most welcome on vasudha_international@cmseducation.org

The following pages will guide you through the process of registration, participation and evaluation.

We sincerely hope that this event will contribute to shaping young minds and bring out capacities latent in them in the best interest of Planet Earth - Our VASUDHA.

Looking forward to your active participation.

Until then, leaving you with a thought that needs to be cherished as we take on this beacon to bring about a change that sustains the planet long after we are gone.

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम्।
उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्॥

ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām।
udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam॥

This is mine, that is his, say the small minded,
The wise believe that the entire world is a family.

Dr Jagdish Gandhi, Founder-Manager
Dr Bharti Gandhi, Founder-Director
City Montessori School, Lucknow

We are delighted to learn that Rajendra Nagar Campus II is organizing 'VASUDHA International - a Quest for Sustainable Development'. The world is changing and our children must be equipped with the attitudes, skills and knowledge to not only carve a niche for themselves in their chosen field but also be agents of profound social transformation.

It is indeed very heartwarming that the event has been planned with a deep understanding for taking forward the CMS commitment of preparing our children for a future that will undoubtedly be full of challenges and opportunities.

'VASUDHA International' will give them that platform to discover themselves, build their skills and reaffirm their commitment to work for the betterment of humanity. Your creative and innovative approach of creating a broad spectrum of topics for experiential research, based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that humanity must strive for in order to achieve the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development gives us reason to be very hopeful about a better future for the entire planet.

We are certain that 'VASUDHA International' will not only generate awareness but also enthusiasm amongst students and teachers alike for caring about our environment and inspiring them to make right choices and taking responsibility for their actions. We understand that the hands-on approach will give students an opportunity to engage with topics like 'Jal', 'Vaayu', 'Urja', 'Vann' and 'Kutumb' and how we, as humans, must use these resources responsibly and sustainably so that we can all contribute to making the earth better place for all.

We wish you, your staff and your students all the very best for a truly enriching experience through a very successful 'VASUDHA International'. May God Bless You All.

Jai Jagat!

Prof. Geeta Gandhi Kingdon
President and Managing Director (MD), City Montessori School, Lucknow

The environment is currently the world’s most urgent common concern. All good people and nations want to save the environment but they wonder what to do and whether anything they may do individually will be effective. Any action to save the environment requires sacrifice of consumption but lack of willingness to sacrifice exacerbates environmental inaction. Mahatma Gandhi had once said “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed.”

The onus is upon us as adults to sensitize our coming generations towards conservation of limited environmental resources so that each may individually contribute in building a more sustainable world.

I’m certain that ‘VASUDHA International’ will considerably raise the bar of students’ understanding of these issues plaguing the world today. I’m also without doubt about the objectives this event will achieve- preparation of confident, knowledgeable, young ambassadors of the environment movement throughout India and abroad who, indue time, will make noteworthy contributions to the rehabilitation of the environment.

I congratulate Mrs. Shameem Singh, Convenor, VASUDHA International & Principal, Rajendra Nagar Campus II, the staff and students for choosing such a meaningful topic for their school’s International Event, and wish them all the best in their endeavour.

Roshan Gandhi
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), City Montessoir School, Lucknow

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims at empowering learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges we are facing. Learning must prepare students and learners of all ages to find solutions for the challenges of today and the future.

I am delighted to learn that an experiential learning project-based event VASUDHA International is being taken up by CMS Rajendra Nagar Campus II which is designed on Jal (water), Vaayu (air), Urja (energy), Vann (Forests) and Kutumb (Community), the essential elements that constitute the planet. The wide range of topics covered under these categories would be aligned to achieve Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations and accepted by all nations of the world in order to have a progressive, sustainable and peaceful world by 2030.

It is only through awareness-raising education, and action of this kind that we will be able to address various global challenges. We sincerely hope that this event will contribute to shaping young minds and bring out capacities latent in them in the best interest of Planet Earth - Our VASUDHA.

Ms Susmita Basu
Superior Principal & Head, Center for School Improvement (CSI),
City Montessori School, Lucknow

We all have a choice, we all have a say,
We are spectators in life or we get in and play.
Whichever we choose, how we handle life’s game,
The choices are ours, no one else to blame.

The world is changing and we as educators need to take a pause and reflect on this entire system and rise to the need of the hour i.e., ‘Sustainable Development.’

The 2030 Agenda for ‘Sustainable Development’ unites humanity in the pursuit of a new path of action ‘while leaving no one behind’. It aims to efficiently utilize resources while meticulously planning the accomplishment of immediate as well as long term goals for the planet and future generations.

Aristotle once said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

We, at City Montessori School, believe that even as we impart education to match advancements in technology and globalization, we must march our children ahead with our ethics and principles to help them become responsible citizens of the future, capable of appreciating the role of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ better known as ‘Global Goals’ for our society.

I feel elated in extending my heartfelt wishes to the dedicated and goal oriented Principal and the staff of Rajendra Nagar Campus II for their great endeavour of organizing VASUDHA INTERNATIONAL, A Quest for ‘Sustainable Development’ to guide the young minds with varieties of intensive activities and empowering them to keep pace with modernity while maintaining and nurturing the environment.

The organization of a focussed event related to the commitment to society would be impossible without a supportive management, passionate teachers, zealous students and of course cooperative parents. This visionary exercise would surely lead us in scaling new heights while keeping ourselves firmly grounded.

Let us all remind one another of these motivating lines to help us meet the challenges and rise to the occasion,
Some people doubt, never think that they can,
Some people believe and develop a plan,
Some people back down when faced with a test,
Some people face hurdles and give it their best.

Mrs Sonali Chowdhury
Event Coordinator

“What does sustainability look like in the classroom?”

Education for Sustainability is an educational approach that aims to develop our students with the values and motivation to build awareness and knowledge on sustainability issues and to take action. It seeks to develop students who are able to think critically, innovate and provide solutions towards more sustainable patterns of living for the 21st century.

We teachers endorse the incorporation of sustainability education into learning and teaching because it is fun, engaging and empowering for our students. The natural environment can be seen as the backdrop to daily life whizzing by as we go from home to school. It can also provide students of all ages with real-life learning.

Every school is located in an ecosystem; a ready-made, complex world ripe for discovery, exploration, enquiry, documentation, communication and understanding. We draw upon a wide range of skills and knowledge from a range of disciplines – these are naturally combined when education for sustainability is integrated into the curriculum.

Keeping all this in mind our school has initiated to spread the idea of sustainability and raise global awareness through experiential learning project ‘VASUDHA’ - A Quest for Sustainable Development.

Visit www.cmseducation.org/vasudha for Registration as well as Synopsis Submission.

Final entry to be mailed at vasudha_international@cmseducation.org by 30th of November 2021.

Event Contact persons:

Ms Sonali Chowdhury
Event Coordinator, VASUDHA International 2021
E mail: sonali.chowdhury@cmseducation.org
Phone: +91 9839508973
Available between: 1500 hrs to 1800 hrs [3:00 PM to 6:00 PM IST]
WhatsApp: +91 9140336528

Ms Garima Kesarwani
Data and correspondence Coordinator, VASUDHA International 2021
E mail: it.rajendranagar2@cmseducation.org
Phone: +91 9839477118
Available between: 0900 hrs to 1500 hrs [ 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM IST]