Integration of Digital Media in Co-curricular Activities to Foster Environmental Awareness in Junior High School Students.

Abstract

Environmental awareness among students remains relatively low, creating an urgent need for innovative character education strategies that are relevant to their daily lives and local conditions. This study explores the effectiveness of integrating digital media into co-curricular activities as a way to foster stronger environmental awareness among junior high school students. A descriptive qualitative approach was used, involving participatory observation, analysis of students’ digital products, and review of reflection sheets. The participants were 30 students from Grades VII–IX at SMPN 7 Belimbing, a semi-rural school situated on the outskirts of the city. The school environment presents several challenges, including unmanaged waste around student walking routes and ecological disturbances linked to nearby small-scale informal gold mining (PETI). Throughout the program, students created digital posters and vlogs that explored these real issues, expressed their perspectives creatively, and demonstrated growing responsibility toward the environment. The findings indicate that the use of digital media significantly improved student engagement, creativity, environmental sensitivity, and willingness to take concrete actions such as sorting waste, joining school cleanliness activities, and promoting environmental messages on digital platforms. Overall, the study concludes that digital media–based co-curricular activities offer an effective and contextually relevant approach to enhancing environmental awareness and supporting character development.