School: Lakshmipat Singhania Academy
    Kolkata, West Bengal, India

5 students, ages 14 - 17 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 17, 2019. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2017, 2018

Classes and Teachers: 5 students of classes 9 - 12 for making the website. Around 80% students from classes 2 to 12 had participated in different events that are highlighted in our website. Teachers: 20+

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.lsakolkata.com/

1. Description of Our Community

Like any other third world developing city, Kolkata attracts to its bosom a large number of people from a hinterland which stretches to Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and UP. This leads to a lot of human issues as well as economic and logistical issues. Under the circumstances economic redressal is uppermost in the town planners and policy makers’ mind. In order to reach out to the maximum number of people it is not always that environment impact is factored in. This helps in reducing costs. As a result the burgeoning pollution levels is becoming an area of concern for the community in Kolkata.

2. Summary of Our Project

We chose the topic keeping in mind the issue of environmental degradation of the city and wanted to make a difference with the various stakeholders in the community. The recent increase of pollution in the city is an area of major concern for the denizens of the city as well as the community leaders. This has led to people searching for various alternatives to fossil fuel which contributes significantly to the environmental pollution; planning to ban plastic whose non-degradability adds to the problem; greening of the city so that the pollution can be brought down. Kolkata has a composite culture with a wonderful mélange of many communities who in turn has one identity – KOLKATAN. The city cannot be allowed to putrefy because of the levels of pollution. For that various measures have to be taken by all, especially by the student community as they are future from whom we have borrowed the world. Our project is aimed towards that.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

The school laboratories were often occupied for practical classes and practical examinations. Limited number of computers in school could be provided to complete the project. That delayed our project. Some students were occupied with their examinations. So they could not participate wholeheartedly. All events were conducted on a very large scale where the entire school participated. Live videos of such events could not be uploaded because recording such events were difficult.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

CyberFair has provided the students, school and community. with opportunities to acquire the required knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to protect, conserve and improve the environment for its present and future generations.It has made its participants eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green. it has made them aware of sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that claim reduced, minimal, or no harm upon ecosystems or the environment.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

• The content standards our CyberFair project addressed was ‘environmental awareness’ and ‘growth that is sustainable’. • The mission statement of our school is ‘to raise awareness of all students regarding social and environmental issues at a global level through programmes and sessions, infrastructural uogradation and regular audits’. This speaks volumes about how our Cyberfair standard fit into our school. • Some of the new skills learnt were- a) Persuasion skills b) Influencing skills c) Feedback skills d) Data compilation skills • Group Concepts used were: a) Use of scarce pooled resources. b) Group dynamics management. c) Handling individuals as a separate entity and at the same time as a group member. d) Conflict resolution e) Importance of Efficiency and effectively. • Specific ideas provided evidences to further define, the General or main Idea and proved that it was valid. • The project was in sync with our school’s Mission statement. • The Project made the students question certain disfigured attitude that is harming mother earth. The project helped the students to unlearn and relearn concepts in many subjects and helped them to apply these learnings for the good of themselves or of others. It helped them to sort out survival challenges. • Internet can improve the quality of education in many ways. It opens doorways to a wealth of information, knowledge and educational resources, increasing opportunities for learning in and beyond the classroom. Teachers use online materials to prepare lessons, and students to extend their range of learning. The main advantage of the Internet is its ability to connect billions of computers and devices to each other. Not only does the Internet create convenience in sharing and receiving information between users, another advantage of the modern Internet is its ability for automation.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We used PCs and Laptops to design the website, compile and resize photos, edit videos. Mobile Technologies were used to communicate for permissions and clicking videos and photos. Video and Still cameras were explicitly used to record proceedings, Internet for research for quiz and different data to sensitize participants and local community. Scanners for scanning feedback forms Software like Movie-maker was used to edit videos Most of these tools are present in school, some students used personal smartphones to record video or click photograph. Smartphones and PCs with internet connectivity are the most-used tools and technologies in our project.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Our children had taken up various programmes to make their peers and neighbours aware about the environment. The details of all such events in which our students participated is the soul content of our site. Feedback from the society was heart-warming, our students were praised by the local authorities and our school won innumerable awards in various events by various organisations. LSA Green Sena (warrior) was praised a lot for their year-long efforts to make our school a nature friendly green school thereby contributing to a green society as well.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

While working on various projects, children of different ages and cultures have come together under one mission - to make the world a better place for living, many children have changed their own ways of living too.. People from neighborhood have praised our effort and promised to be a part of different upcoming projects.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Though most of our helpers preferred to stay anonymous. Still I like to thank our ma’am principal for being our guiding light. Our ever enthusiastic teachers Ma’am Pronita Gupta, Ma’am Ganga Sinha, Ma’am Sunitha R Dey, Ma’am Santoshree Bhattacharya, Ma’am Sohini Mitra Jain, Ma'am Mitali Mukhopadhay, Ma’am Amritah Sen, Ma’am Deepa Das, Ma’am Jayati Goswami, Ma’am Mistuni Mukherjee, Ma’am Nandini Chanda, Ma’am Sudakshina Datta, Ma’am Sanzeeda Mirza, Mr Dashan Singh Gill, Mr Kanak Shankar Mukherjee, Mr. Manoj Das and Mr. Shrinath Verma and last but not the least IT Committee students whose tireless effort to compile and put up this page and all students of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy who had participated in several projects to make it a success. A big Thank You..

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Most of the children of our institution never face any difficulties in their day-to-day living, they have air conditioners to beat the heat at home, running 24 × 7. But after doing research work on the project they are using the A.C.s only for a small period of time (maximum 2 – 3 hours) during the nights only. In place of using daddy's car , they are using carpool.For the seniors, by-cycle is the new cool in-thing.