A three-day E-STEM training organized by the Green Environment and Climate Change Initiative (GRENCHI), has ended in Awka Anambra State, with participants (secondary school students) pledging their readiness to impact the society with the knowledge garnered.
The participants, aged between eleven and twenty and drawn from environmental clubs in various secondary schools, were trained in renewable energy, air and water quality measurement, biodiversity monitoring, mapping, basic data analysis, and water conservation in agriculture.
The programme was funded by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and Pratt & Whitney, with support from local partners including Greenage Technologies; the Departments of Crop Science and Horticulture, and Forestry and Wildlife at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK); the Sahelian Institute of Bamboo Research and Entrepreneurship Development (SIBRED); and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
At the close of the training, GRENCHI’s Programme Lead and facilitator for Water Conservation in Agriculture, Dr. Ropo Apalowo, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that the students were exposed to both theoretical and hands-on learning.
“They now understand what a hydroponics system is and how to plant using soil-less media. They also learned about vertical farming and different planting media for crop cultivation,” he said.
According to him, the enthusiasm displayed by the students was the most encouraging outcome of the programme as they had previously viewed agriculture as stressful and labour-intensive, but their perspective had shifted.
“Almost all of them said they would practise what they learned when they return to their homes, schools and communities. They now realise that even in their school uniforms, they can grow vegetables in their verandas and around their houses,” he said.
Dr. Apalowo expressed optimism that the training would contribute meaningfully to addressing climate change and water scarcity. He described the participants as a new generation of informed climate actors equipped not just with knowledge but with practical skills.
“When they return to their schools, they will serve as peer educators. Young people learn easily from one another, so the knowledge will spread within their schools and communities,” he explained.
He added that the training’s impact extended beyond students, as teachers and other accompanying adults also actively participated.
Replicating the knowledge, he said, would help reduce environmental waste such as plastics and nylon materials, while promoting water conservation practices in agriculture.
The Programme Lead assured that GRENCHI remains committed to its mandate. “As long as there are students willing to learn and partners ready to support us, this programme will continue in the years ahead,” he stated.
Community Engagement Officer, Grace Okoro, described the turnout and participation as impressive.
She explained that the training was structured into three major components: solar energy conservation, biodiversity conservation, and water conservation in agriculture, each backed by practical demonstrations.
“The students and teachers were excited about what they learned. We expect them to take this knowledge back to their schools, homes and communities,” she said.
Okoro urged participants trained in solar installation to begin practising in their schools and homes, while those exposed to biodiversity conservation should continue identifying and monitoring flora and fauna.
“Those trained in soil-less farming and water conservation, she added, should begin implementing the techniques immediately.
She disclosed that the students would reconvene around June or July to pitch ideas developed from the training, expressing confidence that they would present innovative environmental solutions.
Some students including Charles Ogbaga of Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka, described the programme as transformative. “I’ve learned that agriculture is practical and goes beyond what we are taught in school,” he said.
“Hydroponics, which involves planting without soil, is something new to us. It also uses far less water. If conventional farming uses 100 percent water, hydroponics uses about 20 percent.”
Nonye Okpor Ginifor from Nwafor Orizu College Demonstration Secondary School, Awka, said the training opened his eyes to water-saving techniques. “I learned that about 80 percent of water used in traditional watering evaporates. But with drip irrigation, water goes directly to the roots, conserving it.”
He also highlighted vertical farming as a method that saves space and resources by planting crops in cut bottles arranged vertically.
For Emmanuella Okoye of Community Secondary School, Enugu-Agidi, the renewable energy segment stood out. She said she gained practical knowledge about solar panels, MPPT, batteries, inverters and charge controllers.
“I learned how to connect the solar panel to the MPPT, then to the inverter and back into the system,” she said, adding that installing solar panels in her school would significantly improve electricity supply and boost ICT activities.
Obianuju Ejiofor, an SS2 student of Saint John of God Secondary School, Awka, recounted her exposure to biodiversity studies, including plant and animal identification, zoo and forest visits, and a mapping exercise using GPS for a proposed 0.5-hectare school forest project.
“With this knowledge, I can help monitor plants and animals, balance the ecosystem and discourage illegal hunting,” she said.
As the training concluded, the students left with a shared resolve: to move beyond learning and become active drivers of environmental change in their communities.
