The Faculty of Engineering (FT) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), through the Architecture Study Program, organized the GEMERICIK Festival (Gebyar Memanen Bersama Petani Cilik) on Thursday, 24 October 2024, at the Embung Setumpeng Tourism Area, Mojogedang, Karanganyar. This free educational outreach activity was collaboratively conducted by FT UNS, the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD) UNS, and the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) UNS.

As part of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, this event integrated multiple disciplines and fostered collaboration across educational institutions. The GEMERICIK Festival aimed to raise early awareness among children about sustainable management of land for agriculture while introducing disaster mitigation concepts through engaging and educational activities.

Various learning experiences were presented, including direct harvesting in rice fields and visits to agricultural education centers and local cultural exhibitions. Children from nearby schools in Gentungan Village participated in interactive games on disaster preparedness, including earthquake and landslide response simulations, utilizing simple early warning systems.

The initiative was initiated by lecturers and students from the Architecture Study Program under the Urban Rural Design & Conservation Laboratory (URDC Labo). They designed the Rumah Tani interactive pavilion, which combined elements of education, recreation, and environmental awareness. The event also involved KALIMEJA Exhibition – Delanggu, Universitas Muhammadiyah Karanganyar, and the Gentungan Village Government as part of the 2024 Village Empowerment Program (PBD) themed “Development of an Integrated Agrotourism and Livestock Area in Gentungan Village, Karanganyar.” The program received funding support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

According to Dr. Eng. Kusumaningdyah N.H., the Head of the GEMERICIK Festival Committee and Chair of the PSJ LPPM UNS, the disaster mitigation games were adapted from Japan’s NPO Art Plus “Iza Kaeru Caravan” model to make learning fun and culturally engaging. The games were visually designed in a cheerful kawaii style with the help of professional illustrator Tissa Florika, who previously interned at NPO Art Plus.

The festival concluded with a sharing session between local farmers and Pleun De Vries, an intern student from Rotterdam University, the Netherlands, who discussed modern farming practices and the importance of preparedness for climate change impacts.

Through the GEMERICIK Festival, UNS has demonstrated its commitment to offering free educational programmes for local communities on sustainable agricultural land management while promoting environmental education and resilience through interdisciplinary collaboration.