VIBGYOR Climate Academy: Championing India’s Future Climate Advocates
In today’s rapidly changing world, climate education has become essential in shaping responsible, environmentally conscious global citizens. Integrating climate education into the curriculum is important now more than ever. It empowers young minds with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to make informed decisions that protect the environment.
At VIBGYOR Group of Schools, we believe that understanding the impact of climate change and sustainability is more than just a subject—it’s a life skill. Schools play a pivotal role in instilling this awareness early on in order to make India’s future generation environmentally conscious citizens.
Recognising this need and keeping up with the changing times, the VIBGYOR Group thus became the first in Asia to partner with Belgium’s Climate Academy. This partnership led to the birth of VIBGYOR Climate Academy on 17 April 2023, at the Group’s flagship school – VIBGYOR High, Goregaon (west), Mumbai.
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the Climate Academy aims to educate the future generation beyond the traditional environmental studies conducted in a classroom. It seeks to empower students to think and act about climate change as well as provide tools in a way that they can proactively use to impact the conversation around climate change. While the VIBGYOR Climate Academy is first-of-a-kind in Asia, the Climate Academy runs in as many as 7 countries in Europe.
VIBGYOR Vice-Chairperson Kavita Kerawalla said, “Our VIBGYOR Climate Academy is leading the way in cultivating climate-conscious leaders for tomorrow. We are dedicated to going beyond traditional classroom teaching by actively engaging students with hands-on events and impactful learning experiences that deepen their understanding of environmental issues.”
Climate Journalism
In October 2024, VIBGYOR Climate Academy students turned a new leaf as they turned climate journalists. In a partnership with News Decoder, Paris, VIBGYOR’s Climate Academy students learned all about climate journalism. The aim of this collaboration has been to provide a platform to young students to amplify their voices through climate journalism.
Taking to social media, 33 VIBGYOR students were introduced as News Decoder Ambassadors. As part of this association, they will put their views and opinions on paper and engage in climate storytelling. This opportunity is a massive learning experience for the students as they explore the world of journalism from a climate perspective.
Regarding the partnership, Kavita Kerawalla added, “This year, through our partnership with News Decoder in Paris, we are amplifying students’ voices by equipping them with the tools to explore climate journalism and storytelling. This collaboration not only enables our students to express their insights and perspectives on global platforms but also inspires them to be informed advocates for a sustainable future. Together, we are nurturing a generation that sees themselves as true stewards of the planet.”
The VIBGYOR Legacy
Founder Chairman Rustom Kerawalla’s VIBGYOR Group of Schools is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Marking this historic milestone of providing high-quality K12 education, the Group recently announced the opening of two new schools: VIBGYOR World Academy in Nagpur and VIBGYOR High in Belapur. The two new VIBGYOR schools are a testament to the organization’s dedication to providing India’s next generation with a holistic education. Today, with 39 schools spread across 15 major cities, the VIBGYOR Group of Schools serves more than 50,000 students throughout India.