Introducing PRA techniques in the learning of environmental education in Southern Peru

Since 1994, in a public school in the rural town of Calana, Southern Peru, participatory approaches have been used in the course of Environmental Education. The project described is called 'Asignatura Experimental de Educacion Ambiental' and its main objectives are to demonstrate the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle, improve knowledge of the environment and develop skills in solving environmental problems. This article presents some of the participatory techniques used in the project, including descriptions of the socio-economic calendar, the life web, writing letters, the socio-biosphere diagram and the recovery of local knowledge. The authors conclude with some lessons learnt of using participatory techniques in the classroom.