|
|
Local U.N. Agenda 21-Santa Cruz: Education
The three Rs are now one "E":
Education = Extreme Environmentalism
The following are unedited excerpts from "An Agenda 21 Report for Santa Cruz County Local Agenda 21-Santa Cruz: Education". The headlines are editorial comments.
Contents
Your child is the prime target
Recognizing the importance of education in creating the changes that are necessary for a sustainable future, chapter 25 of the global Agenda 21document, entitled "Children and Youth," asks us to enlist and empower children and youth in reaching for "sustainability."Chapter 36, "Education and Public Awareness," addresses the importance of the role of education in reaching everyone with a curriculum incorporating environmental and developmental learning.
^ TOP
Enlisting the educational system for indoctrination of your children
In recent years, there has been a great deal of emphasis on environmental education and nature studies, but little has been done to date to teach about eco-efficiency, sustainable lifestyle practices, and the worldwide movement concerning sustainable development. Sustainability-related curriculum materials and programs are available to Santa Cruz County teachers and need to be more fully utilized in classroom instruction and activities.
^ TOP
All subjects ripe for sustainable indoctrination
The core curriculum areas of the school experience that most directly affect one's understanding of sustainability are: science, social studies, reading, math, and public health (including health hazards). Other subjects that are vital are:nature studies, eco-wise consuming, resource conservation, recycling, global & local issues (including population, biodiversity/ecosystem management, climate change, desertification, forestry, economics, social justice, governance and law). The overall understanding is that we must learn from nature how to create sustainable communities -- observing: interdependence and organization, form and substance, the pattern of life, cooperation and partnership, and diversity. Social and communication skills also play an important role in deciding our future. Suggested skill areas include:conflict resolution, reflective and receptive listening, participatory decision making, respect for guidance/mentorship, and assertiveness training."
^ TOP
Coming to your schools: all sustainable indoctrination all the time
There are currently plans underway for a Charter Camp Campbell Riparian Station/River School. This pilot program will involve an in-depth, cross-curricular program that includes students engaging in ongoing river monitoring, watershed restoration projects, safety and leadership training, and skills for effective communication (including cyber-communication).
^ TOP
Get with the program
Most Americans are ill equipped to make the lifestyle changes necessary to turn the degradation around. At every level of education and in all curriculum areas, more needs to be done to meet the challenges before us. However, our collective experience over time has shown that knowledge alone does not necessarily change behavior and incite people to action. In today's busy world of information overload, support structures and incentives are also needed.
^ TOP
The "Desired State" of education: getting along
Educational programs assist and allow learners of diverse age groups and cultures to discover their full potential while helping them to be aware of their responsibility for and impact on all life.
Educational systems encourage relevant, experiential learning and promote a sustainable, healthy life for all beings. Students embrace, at their appropriate level of understanding, global interdependence and the need to adopt fully sustainable practices locally and globally.
All schools model energy efficiency, resource conservation, and recycling with student participation in planning and implementation. In the school environment, focus is placed on teaching how to learn and how to enjoy learning. This involves:
- Cooperative learning in groups which is learner-directed, empowering and participatory.
- Development of an integrated core curriculum at all levels which emphasizes the theme of unity and interdependence of humanity, all species, and the Earth.
- Student participation in developing their own curriculum.
- Mixed age groups in the learning process.
- Learning activities through the arts and recreational opportunities focused on personal and social growth.
- Learning that occurs through the experience of participating in the actual activity itself.
-
^ TOP
Educational Environmental goals for your children
- All Teachers will have the opportunity to learn ways of integrating sustainability and global issues into their curriculum and at least 50% will be utilizing them ongoing.
- A planning process is established to bring all stakeholders (including teachers, students, administrators, parents, and interested community members) into the designing an educational system that is satisfactory to all participants and leads us to the Desired State. It is then implemented in a specific school or school district with the possibility of using inter-district transfers.
- All of the schools in Santa Cruz County have developed or in the process of developing programs for: energy efficiency, resource conservation, and recyclingwith student participation in planning and implementation. In addition to a basic core curriculum, students more fully participate in creating their own educational experience.
- An increasing percentage of students will find their education meaningful, relevant, and personally satisfying. (One way of measuring this would be acontinued decrease in the high school drop out rate county wide.) Students will graduate from high school ready for productive employment or prepared for college.
^ TOP
Sustainable control of your children
- Develop a curriculum unit that focuses on county and municipal resources and sustainable practices, such as are referenced throughout this document and are found in Santa Cruz County Measure C (Decade of Environment Referendum).
- Highlight as model courses those which are taught at local high schools on environmental science and ocean ecology. Encourage the examples demonstrated at local schools for High & Jr. High Environmental Club activities, where environmental awareness and ongoing recycling activities take place. Give all students the opportunity to be involved in the implementation of our "Local Agenda 21" Action Plan. All High Schools &/or Jr. Highs could offer at least one course focused on this process or sustainability in general.
- Develop an educational program that illustrates the flow of resources through the economy from beginning to end and teaches opportunities to reduce environmental impacts.
- Conduct regular teacher inservices at the County Office of Education as well as courses at the community college & university - focused on resources available to teach about all aspects of sustainability.
^ TOP
|
|
