Enviro News Asia, Bekasi – The Environmental Science School of Universitas Indonesia (SIL UI) conducted a community engagement program themed “Introducing Types and Life Cycle of Waste through Practical Activities and Games” for the 5B grade students of SDN 1 Bojong Rawalumbu, Bekasi, on Friday (November 22, 2024).
“Through this activity, we aim to foster environmental awareness from an early age in a fun and interactive way,” said Herdis Herdiansyah, Head of SIL UI’s Community Service Team. Using simple materials such as food coloring and oil, students explored the process of waste decomposition and its impact on ecosystems.
“This interactive approach is crucial in building a strong environmental foundation for children,” added Yuki Mahardhito Adhitya Wardhana, the Program Coordinator and a lecturer at SIL UI. “Hands-on learning allows students to grasp the concept of the waste life cycle and its environmental effects more easily.”
The activity, which engaged 30 fifth-grade students equally divided between boys and girls, adopted experimental learning methods through direct practice. Students were encouraged to identify and collect both organic and inorganic waste from their homes and school environment.
The program began with team preparation at 7:00 AM WIB, followed by the distribution of practical equipment and classroom setup. After an opening session and a group photo, the main activity commenced with a 15-minute presentation by the SIL UI team, followed by an explanation of practical SOPs by the Labtek Apung team.
“This practical approach has proven effective in helping students understand waste types and their life cycles. They also learned about the environmental impacts of waste,” Herdis added.
During the session, each student was required to bring one type of waste from home and collect two types of waste from their school environment as learning materials. The team provided 12 bucket samplers and six stationery kits, including cutters, to support the hands-on activities.
“We designed this program so that students could understand waste management concepts through firsthand experience. They not only learned the theory but also practiced identifying and sorting waste,” Herdis explained.
Abdul Munir, Principal of SDN 1 Bojong Rawalumbu, welcomed the initiative warmly. “This program is highly beneficial in fostering environmental awareness from an early age. Students not only learn about waste but also how to manage it responsibly,” he remarked.
To conclude, an interactive quiz session with rewards for the best group was held, followed by lunch distribution. “These rewards aim to motivate students to better understand the material presented,” Herdis added.
The SIL UI community engagement activity was supported by the Directorate of Community Empowerment and Service at UI, as well as PT Pertamina Hulu Rokan, PT Bumi Resources Minerals Tbk (BRMS), and Labtek Apung.
