Kids Lead Sustainability Initiatives!

Last week I attended a 3 day conference with the Sustainability Education Academy at Schulich. Nearly 50 teachers, School Administrators and Board leaders were sharing stories of how the education system is being rebuilt from the grass roots through student and teacher led sustainability initiatives. From Eco-Schools, to "Character Matters" to Student Leadership training initiatives. Across Canada and around the world, the environmental, social and economic issues the make up sustainable development are percolating through the school systems. One of the more exciting initiatives is in Richmond, BC, where kids as young as 9 years old are going through leadership training and leading environmental and socially focused projects.

I picked up some great resources and here are some websites you might want to check out:

UK - Learning for Sustainability Together http://www.wwflearning.org.uk/
Australia's work - Shifting Toward Sustainability http://www.aries.mq.edu.au/

It is interesting to note, that a primary education system based on sustainability connects the entire curriculum to the earth and the people on it. It engages learners in understanding "why" they need to know "stuff", it is more dialogical and moves away from the "banking" notion of education. I think that we are more than learning about the "re-visioning" of education. I think we are on the cusp of seeing it emerge.