In society, we are consistently reminded about our duty to leave the world better than we found it – to leave a better world for our children than the world we grew up in. Have we been doing a good enough job? We are constantly learning about the struggles we face as a civilization in the years to come.
The dooming years ahead of where land will be engulfed by water, where the Earth’s temperatures reach record highs affecting the oceans and animals, and where we can predict a decrease in the human population. So with all this information – are we doing enough to create sustainable change that will continue to improve and grow in the years to come?
At Green Schools Green Future we have a clear mission and possible solution to this problem – educating our children with the latest green technologies and how to keep our carbon footprint to a minimum.
There are many benefits to teaching environmental education in schools, all the way from kindergarten to twelfth grade and beyond. One key benefit is the connection to nature that children will experience. With technological advancements making a steady incline, and being more prominent in the day-to-day lives of children growing up (ie. online learning), it is important to keep them stimulated in activities that connect them to the outdoors. Keeping vitamin levels high, increasing happiness, and breathing fresh air, are all linked to having a relationship with the outdoors and giving your body the everyday nutrients it needs.
As kids learn about the struggles the environment faces, they also will learn about the everyday acts they can do to help keep the planet healthy, whether it be picking up garbage, cultivating a garden in their backyard, or properly recycling household items. These small acts can give children a sense of pride and understanding about how simple acts can create sustainability. Also, the concepts they learn would help advance their critical thinking skills and help them think of solutions to the complex environmental issues we face.
The Green Schools Green Future curriculum is designed to allow children the ability to learn through study and practice. Not only will children be reading about issues and watching informational videos, but also allows them to experience and work hands-on with sustainable solutions. Giving children a different way to be engaged and create positive environmental behaviours that will last for a lifetime.
When discussing this topic, I am always pulled back to the famous passage, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Although this idea is disputed and understood by people in different forms – the idea is simple. Teaching through education creates a sustainable culture that can continue to grow and improve for years to come.
Instead of children sitting in a classroom reading about what will come in the future and the devastation our planet may face, let’s give them the resources to make life better today and in the future. Give them a school structure that uses the natural resources around it to function and provide the same level of security as a regular school in the city. From solar panels that power their computers, to vertical farms and aquaponic systems that put food on the table at lunchtime – the students will have many options on areas to explore and new concepts to implement.
In conclusion, we are always talking about how we want our children to grow up and make a difference in the world. Maybe the key is not about speeding up the process, but using their young minds and building lifelong behaviours that will be the difference-maker after all. Maybe implementing environmental education and allowing them to experience sustainability first-hand is the change we desperately need right now.
Sources:
https://www.plt.org/educator-tips/top-ten-benefits-environmental-education/
https://www.plt.org/about-us/why-environmental-education-is-important/
https://thegrowingroom.org/announcements/the-importance-of-environmental-education
Written By Cassandra Briscoe
