SEMARANG, September 14, 2026 — The Elementary School Teacher Education Study Program (PGSD), Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP), Semarang State University (UNNES) together with PT Marimas Putra Kencana conducted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Research Collaboration entitled “Innovation of Prototype-Based Educational Models in Building Environmentally Caring Values and Characters in Elementary School Students” , Monday (14/9/2026).
PGSD FIPP UNNES together with PT Marimas Putra Kencana, school principals, and teachers in the Research Collaboration FGD activity.
The activity, which took place at the PGSD FIPP UNNES Campus, was part of strengthening collaboration between universities, the business world, and schools in developing learning innovations that support environmentally conscious character education for elementary school students.
The activity was opened by the Coordinator of the PGSD Study Program FIPP UNNES Sigit Yulianto, M.Pd., and attended by the Head of the Research Team Susilo Tri Widodo, S.Pd., MH, representatives of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) PT Marimas Putra Kencana Sebastian Gary Prakoso , as well as a number of school principals and teachers from the Ngaliyan area, Semarang City.
The series of activities began with the signing of an Implementation Agreement (IA) between PGSD FIPP UNNES and PT Marimas Putra Kencana as a form of commitment to supporting the implementation of collaborative research and development of educational innovations that are in accordance with the needs of elementary schools.
Strengthening Environmental Care Habits
In the focus group discussion (FGD) session, school principals and teachers shared their experiences regarding the conditions and challenges in developing environmentally conscious habits in students. One issue that received widespread attention was waste management.
Bayu, one of the focus group discussion participants, stated that the school already has regulations and various activities, such as waste sorting and ecobricks. However, challenges remain in maintaining consistent student habits and ensuring that sorted waste is managed sustainably.
Lia echoed this sentiment. The school has been sorting waste by type and experimenting with various uses, including processing plastic waste into products. This experience demonstrates that waste management innovations need to consider their impact on the environment holistically.
Meanwhile, Musrian emphasized that the waste problem cannot be solved through a single program. He believes a more realistic approach is to reduce waste generation, minimize its impact, and build ongoing habits in schools, families, and communities.
The principal and teachers discussed strengthening environmental character education in elementary schools.
Input from Practitioners and Learning Experts
Various input from school principals and teachers served as crucial input for the research team in designing a contextual and applicable educational model in schools. Education practitioners also provided support for the development of this collaborative research program.
The FGD also received support from Dr. Panca Dewi Purwati, M.Pd., a learning expert. She appreciated the idea of developing a prototype-based education model because it connects learning innovations with real-world needs.
The collaboration between PGSD FIPP UNNES, PT Marimas Putra Kencana, and schools in the Ngaliyan area is expected to produce an educational model that is not only a prototype, but can also be applied in learning and support the formation of environmental care habits in elementary school students.
Through this collaboration, innovation development is expected to be more contextual, applicable, and relevant to the issues facing schools. It is also hoped that strengthening environmental character can be carried out sustainably through synergy between schools, families, communities, universities, and the business world.
