Films Spark Sustainability, Dignity, and Community Action in Odisha Schools
“The process of implementing this lesson with the classroom is a powerful learning experience for me. It helps a lot in my professional growth. During implementation of projects, students developed team spirit and also observed that some of the existing practices are responsible for individual loss, social loss and also environmental loss. They also learnt that change of practice through the project brought profit at individual, social and environmental level.”
When Deputy Secretary of the Council of Higher Secondary Education and educator from Odisha, India, Rajesh Kumar Pradhan, joined the APCEIU SIMA SDG Challenge: Using Films to Advance Media Information Literacy and Global Citizenship Education, he saw film as a catalyst for real-world learning. Through the screening of Dignity With Flowers and First Period: A Film on Green Schools, he invited students from three schools in India to explore deep intersections between social justice, environmental sustainability, and responsible living.
Kumar chose to screen the film Dignity with Flowers which follows the work of HelpUsGreen, a social enterprise in Kanpur that collects waste flowers from temples and transforms them into eco-friendly products, preventing pollution of the Ganges. The film highlights how this initiative not only benefits the environment but also transforms the lives of marginalized Dalit women who process the waste. Formerly subjected to discrimination and insecure sanitation work, they now receive fair wages, financial and health benefits, and a renewed sense of dignity. Through the film, Kumar encouraged the students to connect with Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty.
The second film, First Period: A Film on Green Schools, is a playful film that looks at education beyond the confines of a classroom. The film features and engages children with the environment by showing them how to have fun doing activities like composting, planting trees, recycling paper, learning about sustainable agriculture and water harvesting. Through this film, the students were encouraged to connect with Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education and Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
Q&A WITH SIMA
Why did you choose the SIMA Academy film Dignity with Flowers and First Period: A Film on Green Schools?
These films—Dignity With Flowers and First Period: A Film on Green Schools—both directly and indirectly reflect local realities that were important for the students to recognize and understand. By engaging with them, students were able to think critically and develop creative, holistic approaches for designing a range of mitigation solutions. Screening both films was particularly valuable, as each inspired the students in different ways and encouraged them to care about diverse issues within their communities.
How did the screening meet your objectives for the overall event?
The objective for the event was mainly to motivate the students to step into the world of sustainability and critical thinking. The students were encouraged to extend their learning beyond the school gates. The goal was for them to also reflect on their community’s needs. This was achieved through the many community sustainable projects that they developed.
Can you tell us if and how this event changed the audience’s awareness of the subject matter?
The event changed the student’s ability to engage with these topics. During this lesson, students were very active and engaged. They shifted from passive consumption of information to interactive activities like experiments, debates, and projects. They developed abilities of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative application of knowledge. They connected the learning to real-life situations and understood why the information is important for their future. This made their learning journey more holistic.
What were the main topics of discussion at the event?
The films sparked critical conversations and inspired students to take ownership of community-based projects.
After watching Dignity With Flowers, students discussed how religious flower waste pollutes India’s rivers and brainstormed solutions relevant to their own localities. They recognized how social and environmental issues—such as waste, caste discrimination, and dignified work—are interconnected. Their discussions also sparked different projects such as a local waste upcycling project, a mushroom farming project, an Eco-Friendly Festival Observance in which they encouraged the use of eco-friendly products for festival ornaments and a Dignity Awareness Campaign.
After watching First Period: A Film on Green Schools, students reflected on the importance of outdoor learning and connecting with nature. This film also sparked the creation of school kitchen gardens, composting systems, and the formation of eco-clubs.
Please share a memorable moment during your event.
A memorable moment throughout this event was being able to train other teachers and students through virtual mode since it was difficult to visit the schools in person. Virtually, the biggest challenge was to motivate the students and educators to engage in these discussions and projects—but through regular virtual meetings and daily contact, they were inspired and brought positive changes in their schools, communities, and for nature.
