Centre for Environment Education

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) is an Indian organisation devoted to environmental education, public awareness, capacity building and practical action for sustainable development. It was established in August 1984 as a Centre of Excellence with support from the Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its institutional base is in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and its work has developed from the production of environmental learning resources into field programmes, demonstration projects, training, consultancy, communication and broader education-for-sustainable-development initiatives. CEE was created in recognition that environmental understanding and education were important parts of India's environmental and development strategy. It inherited a multidisciplinary resource base from the Nehru Foundation for Development, which had pursued educational work since 1966 in areas including science, nature study, health, development and the environment. During its early years, CEE was based in Ahmedabad but implemented programmes in different parts of India. Experience soon showed that a country of India's geographic scale and social diversity required a decentralised presence. The organisation therefore began expanding its physical network, opening its first regional office for southern India in 1988–89 and subsequently establishing offices, cells and field presences in other regions. The organisation's original emphasis was environmental education: improving public understanding of ecological issues, conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. After its first decade, CEE concluded that education should be linked more directly to environmental action. From 1994 onward, it increased its use of pilot projects, field-level interventions and demonstrations aimed at sustainable development. These projects were intended to generate approaches that could be adapted, replicated and expanded. CEE's work consequently came to cover a wide range of sectors, communities, age groups and geographic settings rather than focusing only on formal classroom education. CEE develops educational programmes and materials, provides training and capacity building, undertakes communication and development projects, and supports initiatives intended to encourage environmentally sustainable attitudes, strategies and technologies. Its audiences include young people, educators, institutions, communities, government bodies and other organisations working on environment and development. The organisation has also described services and platforms involving internships and youth programmes, consultancy, knowledge resources and specialist publications related to education for sustainable development. Its Indian network has included regional offices or cells in Bengaluru for the south, Guwahati for the north-east, Lucknow for the north, Ahmedabad for the west and Pune for the central region, together with state offices in Delhi, Hyderabad, Raipur, Goa and Coimbatore and additional field offices. The referenced organisational profile describes 41 offices across India. CEE has also developed an international presence: CEE Australia was incorporated in 2001, CEE Sri Lanka was registered in 2004, and a Bangladesh partnership with the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies was established to address environmental education and communication needs. CEE has participated in India's implementation of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005–2014, serving as the Indian nodal agency for related activities under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Its stated mandate is to use education, communication and demonstration to connect environmental awareness with conservation, sustainable resource use and quality of life. The organisation remains an active environmental-education institution, although the available reference material does not provide a current financial profile, legal structure, website address or independently dated information about its present operations.

The Centre for Environment Education was established in August 1984 as a Centre of Excellence supported by India's Ministry of Environment and Forests. Its creation reflected the growing recognition that environmental education had to be part of the country's wider environmental and development strategy. CEE was connected to the Nehru Foundation for Development, an organisation that had been undertaking multidisciplinary educational work since 1966 in science, nature study, health, development and environmental subjects. This relationship provided CEE with an existing base of educational experience and resources. In its initial period, CEE operated from Ahmedabad while carrying out programmes in different parts of India. Its work focused on improving awareness and understanding of the environment, developing educational materials and encouraging conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The organisation's early experience demonstrated that national implementation could not depend on a single headquarters. India’s size, ecological variety and regional differences made local presence important for programme delivery and collaboration. CEE responded by opening its first regional office for the southern region in 1988–89 and then building a broader network of regional, state and field offices. During the first decade, environmental education was the principal framework for CEE's activities. After completing ten years of work in 1994, the organisation reassessed how education could contribute to environmental improvement. It began moving beyond awareness and instruction toward environmental action, with greater emphasis on pilot projects, field initiatives and demonstrations linked to sustainable development. These projects were intended to test practical approaches, document experience and create models that could be replicated or scaled up. Over the following decade, field and demonstration work became a substantial part of the organisation's activity. CEE subsequently expanded across sectors, audiences and geographic areas. Its mandate included the development of innovative programmes and materials, training and capacity building in education for sustainable development, and demonstration projects combining education, communication and development. The organisation's approach treated education not as an isolated classroom subject but as a means of influencing attitudes, institutional practices, technologies and community decisions. Its work addressed public awareness, conservation, natural-resource use and the relationship between environmental conditions and quality of life. The organisation's network came to include regional presences in Bengaluru, Guwahati, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune, state offices in locations including Delhi, Hyderabad, Raipur, Goa and Coimbatore, and additional field offices. The referenced profile records 41 offices across India. CEE also developed international links. CEE Australia was incorporated in July 2001 to support environmental and development awareness in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. CEE Sri Lanka was registered in September 2004 to promote environmental education and communication, strengthen local programmes and facilitate collaboration between Indian and Sri Lankan experience. In Bangladesh, a partnership with the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies addressed environmental education and communication needs. CEE's work also became associated with international sustainable-development education policy. During the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 to 2014, it served as India's nodal agency for related activities under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Its planned areas included training and capacity building, internships and youth programmes, consultancy, a knowledge centre for education for sustainable development and a journal focused on the field. The available reference identifies Kartikeya Sarabhai as CEE's director. It does not establish a detailed succession history, financial data, current legal status or a verified official website address. CEE is nevertheless described as an active institution with continuing environmental education, communication, capacity-building and sustainable-development functions.

• 2005

  India's Education for Sustainable Development decade activities

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  CEE served as India's nodal agency for activities connected with the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which ran from 2005 to 2014.

• 2004

  CEE Sri Lanka registered

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  CEE Sri Lanka was registered in September to promote environmental education and communication and strengthen regional collaboration.

• 2001

  CEE Australia incorporated

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  CEE Australia was incorporated in July to support awareness and informed approaches to environmental and development issues in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

• 1994

  Shift toward environmental action

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  After a decade of activity, CEE expanded its emphasis from environmental education alone toward pilot, field and demonstration projects supporting sustainable development.

• 1988

  First regional office opened

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  CEE opened its first regional office for southern India during 1988–89, beginning a broader decentralisation of its national operations.

• 1984

  CEE established as a Centre of Excellence

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The Centre for Environment Education was established in August with support from India's Ministry of Environment and Forests.

• 1966

  Nehru Foundation for Development begins related educational work

  [1]Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org

  The Nehru Foundation for Development, later identified as CEE's parent organisation, began multidisciplinary educational efforts in science, nature study, health, development and environment.

A mission-driven environmental education and sustainable-development organisation that combines learning resources, training, communication and field demonstration projects. CEE positions education as a practical instrument for conservation, responsible resource use and improved quality of life, with delivery through a decentralised Indian network and regional partnerships.

• Education programmes · 1984

  Environmental education programmes

  CEE designs and delivers programmes intended to improve understanding of environmental issues, conservation and sustainable resource use. The programmes can address different sectors, communities, age groups and geographic settings, reflecting the organisation's effort to connect environmental learning with practical behaviour and development concerns.

• Sustainability education

  Education for Sustainable Development initiatives

  These initiatives extend environmental education into the wider field of sustainable development. They combine learning, communication, capacity building and demonstration so that environmental considerations can influence strategies, technologies, institutional practices and community action.

• Educational resources · 1984

  Environmental education and communication materials

  CEE develops educational and communication materials to support awareness and learning about the environment and sustainable development. The referenced material does not specify individual titles or formats, but identifies resource development as a core part of the organisation's mandate.

• Professional training

  Training and capacity building

  CEE provides training and capacity-building activity in environmental education and education for sustainable development. These services are intended to strengthen the ability of educators, institutions, communities and other stakeholders to plan and implement environmentally responsible programmes.

• Field programmes · 1994

  Pilot and demonstration projects

  Following its strategic shift in the 1990s, CEE increased its use of field-level pilots and demonstration projects. These projects apply educational, communication and development approaches in practice, with the aim of generating models that can be adapted, replicated or scaled.

• Youth development

  Youth and internship programmes

  Youth programmes and internships form part of CEE's sustainable-development education work. The available source identifies these as programme areas but does not provide detailed information about individual schemes, participation levels or locations.

• 1994

  Move from environmental education toward environmental actionStrategy

  Background

  After its first decade, CEE assessed its experience and concluded that environmental education should be connected more directly to practical sustainable-development work.

  Action taken

  The organisation increased pilot, field-level and demonstration projects intended to test and promote sustainable approaches that could be replicated or scaled.

  Aftermath

  Field and demonstration projects became a major part of CEE's activities during the following decade and broadened its work beyond awareness and instructional materials.

  Source

1. 1Centre for Environment Educationen.wikipedia.org