Green Schools Take Root in Bansgadhi Municipality in Nepal

A meeting with the Technical Support Group focused on integrating climate change, environmental sustainability, and Green School principles into school-level planning. The discussions emphasized climate-resilient infrastructure, environmentally friendly school practices, teacher capacity building, and the inclusion of climate and environmental issues in teaching and learning. 

The municipality was encouraged to support school greening activities through local education planning and budget allocation. Mr. Manprasad Regmi, Education Undersecretary and Head of Education of Bansgadhi Municipality, also announced plans to introduce a Green School Ambassador initiative to recognize schools making the most progress in the municipality. 

This local ownership is an important best practice. Recognition from the municipality can motivate schools, encourage learning among them, and help sustain activities beyond project support. 

A ripple effect through teachers 

Beyond the two schools directly supported by the project, the teacher training session created wider awareness among focal teachers from 18 other schools on the Green School concept and the practical actions schools can take to become greener and more climate-smart. 

The session introduced teachers to the concept of climate change education and the objectives of Green Schools. Participating teachers worked in groups to develop lesson plans based on the Greening Education Partnership’s Greening Curriculum Guidance, with attention to cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral learning. 

The training has already created a ripple effect. Several teachers have started implementing green actions in their own schools, including kitchen gardens, outdoor classes, and clean-up campaigns. 

A WhatsApp group created during the session has become a shared platform for teachers to exchange photos, lesson plans, updates, and progress from their schools. This peer-learning space has evolved into a simple yet highly effective tool for continuous engagement. Rather than just receiving information, teachers are actively sharing what they try, what works, and what other schools can learn from their experiences. 

From activities to school planning 

A strong practice emerging from Bansgadhi is the effort to link Green School activities with formal school planning. 

Both project-supported schools have drafted Green School Action Plans, and the required budgets have been finalized. Priority actions are being prepared for integration into School Improvement Plans, helping ensure that green and climate-smart practices are not treated as one-time activities. 

This planning process matters. It gives schools a clearer pathway to continue their work, track progress, and identify where further support is needed. 

Efforts of a fistay bird 

The experience in Bansgadhi shows that climate action does not require massive interventions to begin,it begins with a single lesson plan, a school garden, or a student tracking biodiversity. 

During the workshop, Mr. Manprasad Regmi shared the traditional Nepali story of the fistay, a tiny bird that tried to put out a massive forest fire by carrying single drops of water in its beak. When the other animals mocked its small efforts, the bird replied that it was simply doing its part to protect its home. 

The story reminded teachers that climate action does not always begin with large interventions. It can begin with a lesson plan, a compost pit, a school garden, a clean-up campaign, a planted sapling or a student observing biodiversity in their own school environment. 

The experience in Bansgadhi shows that Green Schools grow through such practical actions: students leading Eco-Clubs, teachers bringing climate change into classrooms, schools greening their spaces, municipalities recognizing progress, and children learning biodiversity by observing nature around them. 

Like the fistay, each student, teacher and school has a role to play. Small efforts, when shared and sustained, can help build greener, more climate-smart and resilient schools in Nepal.