Connections Quarterly Spring 2016 - Environment | Page 6

Can Independent Schools
Continued from page 3
Students would also learn about:
c) how their campus functions in its ecosystem and region e.g., its sources of food, water and
energy, and the endpoint of waste; its place in the watershed; its natural and cultural
history; etc.
2. Ecological sensibility – Schools would cultivate students’ connection with nature, including
a strong emphasis on outdoor education. They
would also teach the concepts and skills required
to live within the boundaries of Earth’s capacity to
support us, including habits of conservation and
resilience.

What can schools do?
• Build curriculum that
reflects a fundamental
concern for sustainability.

3. Creative thinking, problem framing and solving
– While problem solving skills are important in any
sustainability-related endeavor, it is equally vital
to be able to think creatively and frame problems
in new and unconventional ways. Schools would
ensure these skills were cultivated throughout the
curriculum.

• Cultivate students’
connection with
nature.
• Foster creative thinking,
problem framing
and solving.

4. Citizenship and social change – Students would
learn what it means to be a participating democratic citizen. They would experience the power
of personal and collective action both on and off
campus. They would also be well versed in social
change strategies, equipping them, in the real
world, to make a difference. 5

• Show students what it
means to be a democratic
citizen, and make sure
they are well versed in
social change strategies.

It bears emphasizing that many schools already
teach and model some of these competencies.
That is mainly because good schools and teachers try to learn and improve with the times,
keeping in mind the perennial question: what should students know, be able to do, and value
when they graduate? But what we need more of are schools that consciously and deliberately
step outside conventional boundaries to make this transition toward the most relevant education we can produce.

Page 4 Spring 2016

CSEE Connections