Environmental Education at SMP Taruna Jaya 1 Surabaya
The word environmental is a vocabulary taken from English which means environment. The word education is also a vocabulary taken from English which means education. So that the meaning of Environmental education is environmental education.
According to the EPA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, explains that environmental education is a process that allows individuals to explore environmental problems, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the environment. As a result, individuals develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues and have the skills to make informed and responsible decisions. (US EPA, 2012)
At SMP Taruna Jaya 1 Surabaya, Environmental Education is defined as a learning method that combines education with the environment. With this method, students are taught to be able to learn through the environment around the school. According to Ali, the environmental learning model prioritizes student experiences with their relationship with the natural surroundings, so that students can easily understand the content of the material presented. This means that learning can also be done outside the classroom. (Ali et al., 2018)
The following is an example of implementing Environmental Education at SMP Taruna Jaya 1 Surabaya; students are divided into several teams. The first is the fish team. In the fish team, students are focused on learning to cultivate fish. There are three types of fish cultivated, namely catfish, tilapia and catfish. In addition to using the cultivation ponds, students are also given the responsibility to maintain or cultivate these fish in their respective classes using the rearing method in large drums or buckets. In this fish team, students learn about the aquatic environment, especially how to cultivate fish. The second is the garden team. In this team, students are taught how to care for garden plants. Like mango trees, sapodilla trees, and some toga plants. The third is the mushroom team. In this team, students learn to cultivate mushrooms. In addition, students also learn several types of edible and inedible mushrooms. The fourth is the park team. In this team, students learn to care for and plant garden plants such as flowers. Students are given class responsibility for caring for the garden in front of their class. The fifth is the recycling team. In this team, students learn how to manage waste so that it can be reused. Such as managing organic waste for compost, managing plastic waste into handicrafts and so on.
The activities above may seem like just applying science lessons to the surrounding environment. But it's not only science subjects that can be collaborated with Environmental Education. Examples of subjects that can also be combined with Environmental Education are crafts, mathematics, social studies and others. In craft subjects, students can use used waste around the school environment to make interesting handicrafts.
The author argues that Environmental Education is an effective and fun learning method. Why is that, because the ultimate goal of Environmental Education at SMP Taruna Jaya 1 Surabaya is five goals. The five goals are Have a noble character, be responsible, be independent, care for the environment and be creative. This means that students are educated to become human beings who have noble character, have high responsibility, are independent, care about the surrounding environment and can have creative and innovative ideas. The various activities that are directly connected to the surrounding environment above are a form of effort from all teachers, employees and all residents of SMP Taruna Jaya 1 Surabaya.
Reference
Ali, M., Ardi, M., & Tahmir, S. (2018). Implementation of Environmental Education in Higher Education with the Outdoor Learning Model. UNM Environmental Journals, 1(3), 77–81.
US EPA, O. (2012, December 13). What is Environmental Education? [Overviews and Factsheets]. https://www.epa.gov/education/what-environmental-education
TW 2022 editorial team