Promoting Children’s Ideas for Better Living Environment: Environmental Education Programme for Children Living in Deprived Urban Housing Paramita Atmodiwirjo & Yandi Andri Yatmo Department of Architecture, Universitas Indonesia

Background Many children are living in poverty, especially in developing countries Poor quality of living environment: -Inadequate space, overcrowded -Lack of access to basic services -Waste and pollution 5

How to improve this condition? What is the role of education? We want to live in a better environment We have great ideas to improve our environment Education = Building a vision for better environment

Healthy homes Environment -Ventilation -Natural light -Waste -Green -Water Knowledge of healthy living environment

Healthy home education programme Children worked in groups, accompanied by architecture students as facilitators 5 In local neighbourhoodsIn primary schools

Learning approach Learning principles Learning stages Critical thinking Creative thinking Collaboration Environmental awareness 1. Understanding existing environment (recall, observe, analyse) 2. Summarizing the criteria of healthy living environment 3. Application through design 4. Reflection

Understanding existing environment (recall, observe, analyse)

Analyse the problems in their home: the causes and how to overcome Worksheet 1: Do you feel comfortable at home? Identify different spaces in their home and the condition (lighting, cleanliness, fresh air) roomdark/lightfresh/staleclean/dirty problemhow to overcomecauses

Worksheet 2: What happens to our waste? Identify different kinds of waste in their surrounding and classify into reusable and non-reusable waste Identify the journey of waste in their surrounding Identify appropriate action towards waste reusablenon-reusable

Worksheet 3: How green is your surrounding? Identify different types of plants in their surrounding Mention various uses /functions of plants for human Identify what might happen if there are no plants types of plants examplesmany/few/none

Summary: How can we create a healthy living environment? Summarize various aspects of healthy living environment

House with trees, clean, fresh air, with windows, ventilation and saving electricity NOW, LET’S CREATE HEALTHY HOMES FOR US !!

Application of knowledge through design

Children’s ideas of healthy living environment

Programme evaluation* Children were able to mention the requirements of healthy living environment All children said that the activity was fun (especially the design exercise) Some children felt the activity was easy, but some felt it was quite difficult. Difficulties were primarily in analytical tasks (thinking why, how, cause-effect) *Based on questionnaires completed by children participating in 4 workshop sessions (n=124)

Create more windows and ventilation, in the house there should be a waste bin, plant more trees, the waste should be separated The house should be bright, there should be ventilation, windows, waste bin, and clean water

From knowledge to creative ideas…. … then to vision and future real actions

Thank you For further information: Paramita Atmodiwirjo & Yandi Andri Yatmo Department of Architecture, Universitas Indonesia