Yogyakarta, 2025 – Students of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) have successfully developed an innovative learning media on disaster mitigation that incorporates local cultural wisdom, designed for children living in landslide-prone areas. This idea was realized through the 2025 Student Creativity Program in Social Sciences and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH), which secured funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemdiktisaintek).

The PKM-RSH team is led by Rahmat Joan Pratama (Indonesian Language & Literature Education, 2023) with members Careva Jhilly Kanahaya S (Civic Education and Pancasila Law, 2023), Bagus Hermawan (Indonesian Literature, 2023), Resti Aryani Widyaningsih (Psychology, 2022), and Isnaini Putri Ayu Sulistiyowati (Educational Technology, 2022). The team is supervised by Dr. Firstya Evi Dianastiti, M.Pd.

Their research project is titled “Development of Augmented Reality-Integrated Flashcards Based on the Nyabuk Gunung Tradition as a Landslide Disaster Mitigation Learning Medium for Children.” This cross-disciplinary collaboration enables the creation of a learning medium that integrates technology, education, psychology, and culture, resulting in an engaging and effective educational tool for children.

The project focuses on Magelang Regency, a mountainous area with high rainfall that makes it highly vulnerable to landslides. Beyond disaster education, the innovation also introduces the local cultural practice of Nyabuk Gunung, or terracing techniques, which have long served as a traditional method of soil conservation and proven effective in mitigating landslides.

“Children are the most vulnerable group when disasters occur. Through this medium, we aim to provide learning resources that not only deliver information but also help children build mental preparedness so they can overcome fear and panic, enabling them to act appropriately during emergencies,” explained Resti Aryani Widyaningsih, a team member from the Faculty of Psychology.

This research initiative seeks to enhance children’s disaster preparedness and mental resilience while simultaneously promoting local cultural heritage. The medium is expected to be widely adopted in schools located in disaster-prone areas and inspire further innovations in learning resources that combine technological advancement with cultural values.

The innovation developed by UNY students demonstrates the university’s commitment to addressing community needs through research that is relevant, creative, and sustainable. It is hoped that this effort will strengthen education while fostering safer, more resilient, and sustainable communities for future generations.