Cambridge Schools Inspire with Zero-Waste Educator Programme; 500+ Teachers. 12 Days. Zero Disposables. Cambridge Schools Set the Bar High

NOIDA: InspirEd, the annual flagship teacher training and capacity-building programme of Cambridge Schools, took on a transformative new direction this year. In alignment with World Environment Day on June 5, the summit connected education with action, demonstrating a clear, measurable commitment to sustainability. Held over 12 days, with more than 500 educators from five Cambridge branches and workshops led by top industry experts from across India, the programme focused on a wide range of vital themes. 

The programme addressed a broad spectrum of essential themes—from innovative pedagogy, interdisciplinary curriculum design, and NEP implementation to art-based learning, mental well-being, and digital literacy. Some of the resource persons were Prof. Rohit Dhankar (Educationist and Founder-Secretary, Digantar; former Professor, Azim Premji University), Prof. Nandita Narain (Head, Dept of Mathematics at St.Stephen's College, Delhi University), Kapil Pandey (President, Kutumb Foundation, Children’s writer, poet, and drama-in-education practitioner), CA (Dr.) G.S. Grewal (Chartered Accountant and renowned author of T.S. Grewal’s Accountancy textbooks), Beeba Sobti (Historian, writer, and heritage educator focused on Delhi’s cultural legacy), Samina Mishra (Documentary filmmaker, children’s author, and educator), Sayoni Basu ( Children’s publisher and co-founder of Duckbill Books; Consulting Editor, Penguin India) among many others.

"We meet every year in the second fortnight of May to renew ourselves, gain fresh perspective on the challenges in school education and discover what has changed and maybe what remains and what needs to be reaffirmed ", said Vikram Roy, President, Society for the Advancement of Education. 

Remarkably, the entire event at Cambridge School Noida was hosted without using a single disposable item — not even tissue paper. In contrast, last year’s edition generated thousands of single-use items, including paper plates, cups, tetrapaks, and tissues. This year: zero. Refreshments were served in reusable steel crockery, washed using just 90 buckets of water over the period of 12 days, the majority of which came from RO machine wastewater — later repurposed for gardening.

Avoiding single-use disposables helped save nearly 13,000 litres of water. All waste was carefully segregated into dry and wet categories. Some dry waste was repurposed by the housekeeping staff as storage containers, while about 140 kgs of wet waste was composted in-house. Most participants brought their own water bottles, reducing the load on the washing team, and carpooling and school bus arrangements helped minimize carbon emissions and streamline transportation. 

“This wasn’t just a logistical choice — it was a deliberate commitment,” said Surabhi Bhargav, Principal, Cambridge School Noida. “We proved that with a bit of intent and a lot of teamwork, sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into even large-scale institutional events.”

Cambridge Schools now offer a compelling blueprint for how institutions can lead not only in academic excellence but also in environmental responsibility. InspirED 2025 wasn’t just a professional development programme — it delivered a real-world lesson that sustainability is not a buzzword, but a responsibility.

About Cambridge Schools

Founded in 1931, Cambridge Schools are rooted in a legacy of progressive education and public service. Operating under the Society for the Advancement of Education, their five branches across Delhi-NCR uphold the values of Rational and Scientific Temper, Global Outlook, Community Mindedness, and Sustainability. The schools emphasize not just academic excellence but also ethical awareness, civic responsibility, and environmental consciousness. With the guiding motto “We Learn to Serve,” Cambridge Schools strive to build future-ready learners who lead with integrity and empathy in an interconnected world.