The spotlight is on SMV Higher Secondary School, tucked away in the small rural town of Poonjar in Kerala. There has been a lot of excitement at the school as eighth grader Lakshmi V. Nair has been selected as one of the 12 vloggers from around the world by the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, a program supported by various U.S. governmental agencies including the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of State (DoS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

 

It is indeed a proud moment for Lakshmi’s mentor and physics teacher, V.R. Pyarilal, a 2013 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (FTEA) alumnus, who has been instrumental in introducing the GLOBE program at his school on his return from his FTEA fellowship at University of Central Florida. He learnt about it while attending a workshop at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Florida.

 

Pyarilal inducted 25 students into the program. Under his mentorship, the students take scientific measurements to bring about a better understanding of the Earth’s environment, and collect atmospheric, hydrologic, geologic, and biometric data from local study sites to monitor the conditions in their local area. They submit their findings to the GLOBE network and make comparisons with data from around the world. Scientists around the world incorporate these data into their research work as well. Even at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pyarilal has ensured that the students are engaged in various GLOBE activities through online meetings and social media, collecting and reporting Cloud data, air temperature, humidity, land cover, tree height, etc.

 

Pyarilal says “the Fulbright program has significantly increased my global connections and has helped enhance the collective, innovative and active learning experiences of my students.” . Lakshmi Nair will create vlog-style content for the GLOBE YouTube channel that will be shared across all GLOBE social media platforms. As a vlogger, she will take viewers on a journey into her world – her environment, what she is doing, learning, and discovering in these challenging times.

 

GLOBE is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. It promotes a worldwide community of students, teachers, scientists, and citizens working together to better understand, sustain, and improve Earth's environment at local, regional, and global scales, and, also promote the teaching and learning of science, enhance environmental literacy and stewardship, and promote scientific discovery.
Announced in 1994, GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) began operations on Earth Day 1995. Today, the international GLOBE network has grown to include representatives from over 110 participating countries coordinating GLOBE activities that are integrated into their local and regional communities. Weblink: https://www.globe.gov/web/guest/home.

 

Photo: Lakshmi Nair with V.R. Pyarilal