Biology Education Students from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at Unsri Conduct a Community Service Program at Indralaya Selatan Public Junior High School No. 1

With the theme “Strengthening Environmental Literacy Through the Implementation of Separate Trash Bins as a Tool for Climate Change Education,” this program was designed to foster students’ understanding of the importance of waste management and its connection to climate change—an issue that is increasingly relevant to their daily lives.

Before the activity began, participants took a pre-assessment that revealed that while most students were familiar with the concept of waste, they did not yet fully understand the connection between waste management, environmental pollution, and climate change. Many students also admitted they were not yet accustomed to sorting waste by type.

During the program, the community service team delivered interactive sessions on environmental literacy, climate change, and the practice of sorting organic, inorganic, and residual waste. The activities included hands-on simulations and educational games that encouraged students to correctly identify and categorize waste.

The participants’ enthusiasm was evident during the discussion and hands-on sessions. Students actively shared their experiences regarding waste management habits at home and at school. They also demonstrated a greater understanding of the importance of sorting waste as a simple step to protect the environment and support climate change mitigation efforts.

“This activity helped me better understand the importance of sorting waste and protecting the school environment,” said one participant. Another participant admitted that they had only recently learned that waste management is closely linked to climate change.

Through this program, Biology Education students from the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) at Sriwijaya University hope that the culture of waste sorting will continue to be practiced at Indralaya Selatan State Junior High School No. 1. With the active involvement of Student Council members, the school is expected to foster sustainable environmental awareness and encourage the emergence of change agents who care about environmental conservation.