As environmental educators, it can be easy to focus on problems like climate change, deforestation, and extinction, but that can have negative impacts on young generations. Rather than inspiring them to care more, this can sometimes have the opposite affect by causing young people to feel helpless to make change. We can combat this by fostering a sense of place in our students, focusing on local ecosystems, and encouraging them to see nature all around them. A focus on local solutions gives us a chance to see how just a few people can make a big difference. We can inspire others by emphasizing tangible actions that they can personally take, since it always feels better to do something about the problems you see. Small adjustments to these lessons may be all it takes to change someone’s outlook!
After college, I became disheartened that environmental education was not the career path that I wanted to continue. Every position I saw offered low wages, part-time, or volunteer work. Then I found Westgate Community School (WCS), a K–12 charter school unlike any other. Environmental Education and Service Learning are just two pieces of Westgate’s whole child education that I lead as the Environmental Education Coordinator. I take care of goats, chickens, barn cats, and a snake daily. I teach topics about all things environmental. I am here to talk about my work at Westgate and explain why we must integrate environmental education into our public school systems.
As environmental educators working with K-12 kids, we understand how powerful the local actions taken by children can be. These local actions, especially looking toward adaptation and disaster risk reduction, such as school gardens, water quality testing, tree planting, school or home mapping, and advocacy. This is why I am especially proud to be founder of international NGO, Earth Child Institute, advocating with and for children on the global platform as a civil society observer to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
For the past one year, come rain or sunshine, freezing cold and scorching summers, the bread producers of the country, both women and men, have been protesting on the borders of Delhi, the capital of India. They have been living in makeshift housing, several hundred kilometers away from their homes and fields to participate in the protest. The fields which they have been working for generations, for them to be a farmer is a matter of pride and their lands a matter of honor which they are not ready to part with even in the times of extreme economic crisis.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) invites you to participate in the prestigious environment examination, ‘GREEN Olympiad’ – India’s premier annual school initiative being organized since 1999. The examination serves a dual purpose of testing the environment quotient of students and enhancing their understanding about issues related to sustainable development.
Date and Time:
Monday, November 15, 2021, 8:00pm to Sunday, December 12, 2021, 8:00am
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) invites you to participate in the prestigious environment examination, ‘GREEN Olympiad’ – India’s premier annual school initiative being organized since 1999. The examination serves a dual purpose of testing the environment quotient of students and enhancing their understanding about issues related to sustainable development.
Connections with like-minded people can add intrinsic value to our lives. It can inspire teams to work better, and individuals to grow exponentially. Sometimes, it can even change minds for the better. But, the power of connection goes beyond people. It’s also tied to nature—flora or fauna. Meaningfully connecting with the environment around us can make the world a better place to live. And by engaging children in this endeavor, we can solidify the future.
Solutions is a board game about solving climate change. Tested on over 500 students, Solutions leads to fun and meaningful discussions, acting as a starting point for real-world class projects that give students a sense of agency and hope.
Explore the Climate Change Essentials for All Educators course, which offers K–12 teachers up to 60 professional development hours for learning how to successfully incorporate climate change education into their current curriculum—regardless of grade level, subject area, or state standards. Generous scholarships available!
