Six groups of students from Bali WISE presented an environmental case from their hometowns and by doing so, they offered reflections on environmental issues in Indonesia as a whole. 

Why Environmental Class for Bali WISE Students

Part of Bali WISE curriculum is Environmental Class, which takes place in the ZeroWaste Center. The aim is to equip the students with environmental knowledge, that they can use in their daily life and hopefully share in their communities. Every new group of students gets a full tour around the ZeroWaste Center’s eco-stations, to enrich their knowledge about waste management and environmental good practices. Based on this, they get assignments to implement their knowledge in practical cases.

Preparing the Cases

This time, the students were asked to present a case from their hometown. First, they discussed various environmental problems in the group, and then they split up in pairs of two, to prepare a case of an environmental problem in one of their hometowns. By examining the roots of the problem and proposing solutions, the student’s understanding of environmental issues grows and they become more critical towards malpractices.

Environmental Malpractices in Indonesia

Six groups of students presented their cases, varying from waste and pollution caused by big factories in Pasuran, East Java, to deforestation problems in East Nusa Tenggara. But the majority of the cases were about littering and a lack of waste management systems in communities. This shows that general awareness environmental good practices of and institutionalized community waste management are top priorities that need to be addressed by local governments.

Take away from the students

While the presenters came up with various solutions, the other students were very critical. They asked questions about the roots of the problems and also about the proposed solutions. Overall, the students said that they enjoyed this learning experience because they got to sharpen their critical thinking and public speaking skills.