1M1B & IBM SkillsBuild Launch Sustainability Experience Center In Bengaluru For Young Sustainability Champions

1M1B (One Million for One Billion), a UN-accredited not-for-profit organisation, in collaboration with IBM SkillsBuild, has set up the first of its kind Sustainability Experience Center, at Delhi Public School Bengaluru North, marking an important step towards empowering young people with sustainability awareness, climate literacy, and future-ready skills to tackle climate challenges.

The Center was inaugurated by Ms. Priti Kadam- Program Manager, Chief Sustainability Office, and Ms. Manju Balasubramanyam, Principal, DPS Bangalore North. Designed as an immersive, hands-on learning space, the Sustainability Experience Center moves beyond traditional classrooms to help students engage with real-world environmental challenges through experiential learning. The Center integrates sustainability, climate action, and AI through interactive activities that encourage students to reflect on everyday choices, analyse real data, and build solutions for a greener future.

Other distinguished guests present at the inauguration of the Center included Ms. Mamatha Venkatesh – Sr. Solution Architect, Ecosystem Engineering Lab, IBM, Mr. Premjit Balasundaram – Project Executive, Aerospace & Defense Cluster, IBM, Mr. Bhaskar Nadig – Program Lead, IBM SkillsBuild, IBM India CSR, Ms. Sneha Laxman – Program Manager, IBM India CSR along with Mr. Saffin Mathew – Vice President, Programs & Strategic Partnerships, 1M1B.

Key experiences within the Center include a Carbon Footprint Activity Board that helps students understand emissions linked to everyday choices; the Wall of Disintegration, which visually highlights how long common materials take to decompose; Track Your Watts, where students analyse household electricity use and measure behaviour change; and a solution creation space where students develop real-world sustainability projects.

Speaking on the launch of the Center, Ms. Manju Balasubramanyam, Principal, DPS Bangalore North, said, “The Sustainability Experience Center is a powerful addition to our school’s learning ecosystem. This space will help students move beyond textbook learning and develop critical thinking, responsibility, and problem-solving skills around sustainability and climate action. We are proud to partner with IBM and 1M1B to create an environment where students are empowered to become thoughtful, action-oriented global citizens.”

Manav Subodh, Founder & Chief Mentor, 1M1B added, “This Center represents a shift from awareness to action. By combining sustainability, AI, and experiential learning, we are enabling students to not only understand global challenges like climate change, but also see themselves as active contributors to solutions.”

The Sustainability Experience Center will also function as a regional hub, hosting workshops, volunteer-led sessions by IBM professionals, student-led innovation activities, and community engagement initiatives. The Center is expected to nurture student-led sustainability projects annually, building a pipeline of young changemakers equipped with green skills and problem-solving capabilities.

Through this initiative, 1M1B and IBM aim to create scalable, replicable models of sustainability education that align with global climate goals, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and India’s vision for a sustainable and inclusive future. At the core of this initiative is IBM SkillsBuild, one of the world’s most accessible technology learning ecosystems. With over 16 million+ learners, the platform offers over 1,000 courses in AI, Cybersecurity, Quantum, Cloud, Data, Sustainability and Workplace Readiness for learners, educators and institutions.

About 1M1B (One Million for One Billion)

1M1B (One Million for One Billion) is a United Nations–accredited non-profit founded by Manav Subodh that has spent the past decade mobilizing and skilling young people to drive large-scale social and environmental impact.

With programs running in 5,000+ schools and colleges, 25,000+ teachers trained, and 800,000 + youth skilled, 1M1B is building India’s future-ready AI and Green Skills talent with a strong focus on tier 3 town and rural India. 1M1B job melas and placement drives that have achieved a 70% employment rate, directly connecting rural youth to meaningful livelihoods.

To deepen its sustainability impact, 1M1B is establishing the 1M1B Green Skills Academy Campus, a first-of-its-kind hub in rural India to skill young people in sustainability and AI, enabling a transformation in villages through green jobs and climate-smart opportunities.

At the global stage, 1M1B is showcasing India’s soft power by transforming the country’s youth dividend into a climate dividend and an AI dividend. Through soft diplomacy, 1M1B creates opportunities for young Indians to present themselves at reputed national platforms and United Nations forums, amplifying their voices as climate innovators, AI talent, and sustainability leaders.

Globally, 1M1B is supporting the “1.5 Matters” movement, creating a new wave of Climate Fellows under the Youth Diplomacy program to advocate for keeping global warming under 1.5°C.

From grassroots action to global advocacy, 1M1B is building a generation of leaders who can act, innovate, and influence to secure a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient future.

Website: https://activate1m1b.org/

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's technology to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. 

For more information, visit www.ibm.com