The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts have forged a transformative partnership, blending education with environmental action to champion ecological restoration on the edge of Sri Lanka’s resplendent tropical rainforest, Sinharaja. This collaboration, rooted in hands-on learning and meaningful impact, demonstrates how corporate and educational institutions can join forces to for a more sustainable future.
The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) has set global benchmarks in environmental education by championing sustainability through innovative initiatives, meaningful collaborations, and student empowerment. Recognised globally, OSC made history in 2022 as the first school in Sri Lanka to receive the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag Award from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), celebrating its efforts in waste management, energy conservation, and water preservation. Continuing its legacy of excellence, in 2024, OSC became the first and only school worldwide to receive the distinguished MSA (Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools) Programme of Distinction in Sustainability, solidifying its position as a global leader in sustainability education.
Experiential learning remains an important cornerstone of OSC’s learning approaches. Across all grade levels, students learn by doing, using their hands, and engaging with real-world issues. Science classes, the robust service programme and the Experience Sri Lanka! Week Without Walls programme are all important vehicles for this.
A new initiative in the 2024-25 school year was OSC’s collaboration with the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts hillside restoration project near the Sinharaja World Heritage Site. A group of OSC students and teachers visited the area to learn about rainforest ecology, partake in citizen science, and observe efforts to restore degraded landscapes. On the first two days students catalogued biodiversity and used iNaturalist to contribute to citizen science projects. A highlight of the experience was spending a morning learning about efforts to restore a degraded hillslope by the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. The OSC team listened to a presentation by Vimukthi Weeratunga, a wildlife and fisheries biologist and a Consultant to Cinnamon Nature Trails (the wildlife and nature-based tourism arm of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts) and then went on a tour of the site that culminated with an opportunity to plant native rainforest shade species.
The OSC group, comprising 12 students and three teachers, toured the restoration site, engaged in insightful discussions, and contributed to the restoration effort by planting native rainforest species. This experience offered students a tangible connection between classroom theory and practical ecological impact. Vimukthi commended their curiosity and thoughtful questions. Ian Lockwood, OSC’s Environmental Systems & Societies teacher who spearheads a lot of the school’s experiential learning, appreciated the invaluable lessons the students gained from witnessing restoration in action.
The partnership between OSC and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts highlights the power of collaboration between an eco-conscious school and a conservation-focused organisation of repute. For OSC students, it wasn’t just about learning – it was about contributing. Their involvement left a lasting mark on the restoration site and ignited a deeper understanding of environmental responsibility. Looking ahead, OSC plans to expand this collaboration, enabling more students to participate in Cinnamon’s restoration efforts. By engaging in such meaningful projects, OSC and Cinnamon are cultivating not only a rainforest but a legacy of environmental stewardship. Together, they are inspiring the next generation to lead with purpose, turning shared visions of sustainability into tangible realities.
This partnership exemplifies how experiential education with a local focus on themes of conservation can create ripples of change – nurturing ecosystems, empowering young minds, and building a future rooted in harmony with nature. By combining education and action, OSC nurtures environmentally-conscious global citizens, cultivating not just a greener planet but a legacy of sustainability that will resonate for generations to come.
OSC students and faculty join Vimukthi Weeratunga of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts at the Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project, exploring biodiversity and contributing to reforestation near Sinharaja.
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