On a quiet morning in the rural outskirts of Badulla district, a group of young students at B/Morahela Maha Vidyalaya gathered in their school hall, not for their usual lessons, but for something they had been buzzing about all week. A team of university volunteers had arrived with bags of supplies, colorful posters, and a plan to turn two ordinary school days into something these students would carry with them far beyond the classroom.

Where Science Meets Purpose

Project Viduneth was a two-day educational and environmental outreach initiative organized by the Sustainable Partnership Avenue of the ZeroPlastic Movement, University of Kelaniya. The project unfolded at B/Morahela Maha Vidyalaya, where it brought together students spanning Grades 1 through 11 for a program that blended academic support with hands-on environmental consciousness.

The first major component was a science seminar designed specifically for Ordinary Level students, aimed at strengthening their understanding of key concepts ahead of national examinations. For many students in rural schools, access to supplementary academic guidance is limited, and the seminar offered a rare opportunity to engage with university-level mentors who could break down complex topics in accessible ways.

Leadership Through Creativity

But Viduneth was never intended to be a conventional tutoring session. Once the academic seminar wrapped up, the program shifted into territory that felt far more alive. Students across all grade levels participated in leadership development and ZeroPlastic awareness sessions that challenged them to think critically about their relationship with the environment and their roles as young leaders within their communities.

Two interactive activities stood at the heart of this effort. A Leadership Poster Challenge invited students to work in teams, translating ide…