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Advocate for green schools to visit Elgin Monday

Elgin High School students and community members will hear from a green schools advocate and environmentalist from India Monday.

Virendra Rawat, founder of the Green School Movement in India, will talk about sustainability and how a healthy environment plays an important role in education. The session will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room 138/139 and 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 141 of Elgin High School, 1200 Maroon Drive.

Dubbed an education "game changer," Rawat also will speak to local residents about creating sustainable communities through green school initiatives from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.

Rawat reached out to Elgin High School environmental science teacher Deb Perryman to meet with her students after learning about the school's "National Biodiversity Teach-in."

More than 35,000 participants from 35 states and 17 countries registered for the school's series of biodiversity webinars in February featuring international experts, including activist, filmmaker and founder of EarthEcho International Philippe Cousteau and wildlife biologist Dorie Stolley.

"We have an opportunity to exchange ideas with a sustainability expert and award-winning educator from the other side of the world," Perryman said.

Rawat's Green School Movement creates awareness about environmental issues. In 2010, the first green school was launched in the Indian state of Gujarat. Inspired by Rawat's concept, the government of Gujarat launched 100 government green schools statewide in 2013, per his website.

Since then, the green school concept has taken root in several countries. More than 3,000 schools, including some schools in India, are now part of The Green Schools Alliance - a U.S. based global association. Started as a social experiment, green schools help educate students about climate and the environment.

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