Ecoliteracy through Psychoeducation with Sociodrama and Tree Planting of Mangroves to Increase Empathy

Low environmental awareness and empathy in the Panggang Island community have caused serious damage to the coastal ecosystem, including garbage accumulation and sea wave erosion. This community service (PKM) activity aims to increase ecological literacy and environmental empathy among adolescents on Panggang Island through an integrated intervention program. This program uses a psychoeducational approach with a sociodrama method themed "Cultivating empathy, saving the island" and concrete actions such as planting mangrove trees. The target group is 46 eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 133 Pulau Pramuka, most of whom are indigenous residents of Panggang Island. Empathy levels were measured using the Dispositional Empathy with Nature instrument and evaluated in a way qualitative through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with stakeholders. The evaluation results showed that the sociodrama psychoeducational intervention significantly increased students' environmental empathy in both the cognitive component (ecological understanding) and the affective component (emotional connection to nature). The mangrove planting activity successfully strengthened ecological commitment and fostered a sense of collective responsibility. This activity has practical implications for strengthening environmentally based Guidance and Counseling programs in coastal schools and emphasizes the importance of cross-sector synergy in maintaining the long-term sustainability of mangrove ecosystems.