By: Pratama Aditya Haryanto and Ciptanti Putri

In the last weeks of December 2014, Panda Mobile, WWF-Indonesia's educational truck, visited a number of schools. Among others, SDIT Auliya Bintaro, Sekolah Alam Indonesia Jagakarsa, SD Taruna Bakti Bandung, and SD Bianglala Bandung. The mission of environmental education was conveyed in an attractive way in these schools.

At SDIT Auliya Bintaro, the Panda Mobile visit took place on December 15, in conjunction with school activities related to animal recognition. A storytelling session from Kak Ryan opened the morning's activities. Approximately 600 students from grade 1 to grade 6 were solemnly listening to stories that opened new insights about animals. Next, the students of SDIT Auliya were invited to participate in a series of activities; grade 2 followed the reduce-reuse-recycle (3R) activity to decorate the photo frame, grade 1 watched a movie at Panda Mobile, grade 3 played games engklek, while grade 4 to grade 6 were creative in making bags from t-shirts. When the Grade 1 students finished, Grade 2, 4, and 5 took turns climbing onto the Panda Mobile truck to watch the movie. However, time constraints and unfavorable weather prevented the 3rd and 6th graders from participating in the movie.

The Panda Mobile activity at Sekolah Alam Indonesia in Jagakarsa was the first visit. Activities followed by students from grade 1 to grade 4 included storytelling, coloring, 3R creations, and Forest Police and Hunter games. Initially, the Grade 1 and Grade 2 students participated in the coloring activity while the Grade 3 and Grade 4 students played the Forest Police and Hunters games. The 3rd and 4th graders quickly grasped the message of the games, which was none other than the threat of tiger extinction due to poachers. After coloring and playing games, students from grade 1 to grade 4 were entertained by Kak Ryan who told stories about protected animals. Meanwhile, students in grade 3 and grade 4 were invited to do 3R activities by making origami from used magazines. Although it seemed simple, the students were happy with their creations. Some took them home, while others hung them in the classroom. The teachers were impressed with the Panda Mobile team's performance and hope that their school will be visited again next time.

In Bandung, the Panda Mobile team held a series of storytelling, 3R, and educational games for around 600 students of SD Taruna Bakti on December 17. The activity began with an introduction by the Panda Mobile team, then the students were divided into three groups that would take turns doing various activities in three different places. The first group gathered in the hall to watch a movie about the Sumatran Tiger. After watching the movie, the activity continued with a storytelling session by kak Ryan, playing engklek games on the school field, then doing 3R activities to make photo frames from used cardboard. Meanwhile, Panda Mobile itself held activities to make shopping containers from used newspapers and make pencil cases from used plastic bottles. With a rotation system, each group of students had the opportunity to experience all the activity points that day.

The next day, Panda Mobile visited another school in Bandung, SD Bianglala. Storytelling, movie watching, coloring, and cricket games were held there. As in other schools, the students of SD Bianglala seemed to really enjoy every activity. The Panda Mobile team was rewarded with smiles and friendly greetings from the students and teachers. The activities at the school continued the next day. However, the activities were followed by students at the kindergarten level. The agenda of activities at Bianglala Kindergarten that day was a storytelling session by Kak Ryan in the school hall, followed by various educational activities on the Panda Mobile truck.

Through environmental education activities that are designed to be attractive and entertaining, the Panda Mobile team hopes that the conservation messages conveyed at the schools visited can be digested easily and enrich insights, both by students and teachers.