Edu institutes, city NGO come together to build climate literacy among youths

Kolkata: Kolkata-based NGO SHER, in collaboration with Scottish Church College and TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), successfully hosted a wide-ranging workshop titled "Knowing Climate Change" — a pioneering initiative aimed at deepening climate literacy among school students.The event drew representatives from 28 schools across the region, with each institution sending one teacher and one student to participate in a full day of expert-led sessions.One of the key moments of the workshop was the formal launch of the Climate Ambassador Program, under which participating students will carry forward the knowledge gained at the workshop and translate it into tangible, school-level action projects.The most impactful initiatives will be recognised and awarded, encouraging a culture of sustained climate action at the grassroots level.Each participant was presented with a copy of the booklet "Anthropocene", authored by Ratul Ghosh, research assistant, TERI SAS — setting a thoughtful and scholarly tone for the day's proceedings.The inaugural session was presided over by Madhumanjari Mandal, principal of Scottish Church College, alongside Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri from TERI SAS, and Joydip Kundu of SHER.The technical programme opened with Session I, led by Debal Ray, IFS (Retd.), who delivered a comprehensive introduction to climate change — covering the mechanics of the greenhouse gas effect, the role of oceans as carbon sinks, historical patterns of climatic shifts, their socio-economic consequences, and the policy frameworks required to address mounting environmental challenges.The focus then shifted to urban resilience and social vulnerability, with Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri presenting on Climate Smart Cities. She drew sharp connections between global warming and pressing threats such as heat stress, rising sea levels, and food and water insecurity, while elaborating on the Urban Heat Island effect and the need for robust mitigation and adaptation frameworks in smart city planning.The second half of the day pivoted toward applied science and technology.Amitava Roy of Scottish Church College conducted a hands-on laboratory demonstration, showcasing advanced instruments — including RT-PCR, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) — to illustrate how pollutant analysis and environmental research are carried out in modern scientific settings.One of the sessions featured Ratul Ghosh, research assistant at TERI SAS, who explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in climate science. He discussed the integration of satellite data with Large Language Models (LLMs) and Physics-Informed ML models, drawing on his own fieldwork in the Sundarbans to demonstrate real-world applications in species identification and mangrove detection. As Co-Lead of World's Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), India, Ghosh also inspired students to engage with international platforms such as the UNFCCC's YOUNGO network, underscoring the critical role of youth in shaping climate policy and advancing climate justice.The workshop concluded with a valedictory session graced by chief guest Amita Prasad, a distinguished senior educationist, whose closing address carried a powerful message: "We are the Climate Champions." The session ended with the distribution of certificates to all participants