Sustainability is a relatively new field, due to factors such as technological innovation, greater scientific knowledge, and spreading awareness. College campuses and businesses seem to be two of the biggest institutions that have become sustainability conscious and taken action to implement environmentally friendly practices. This is wonderful in its own right, however the institution that should perhaps address sustainability the most is the education system, so that as the generation grows sustainability practices move forward as well and become ingrained in society.
One organization that thinks along these lines is Shelburne Farms, a nonprofit organization in Shelburne Vermont that educates children on conservation and sustainability. One of their initiatives is the Sustainable School Project (SSP), which is “a dynamic model for school improvement and civic engagement designed to help schools use sustainability as an integrating context for curriculum, community partnerships, and campus practices.” Champlain Elementary is the first SSP pilot school. The program provides a rotational instructional system for teachers who are then able to pass along sustainability programming to their students. The major areas of focus include instilling pride in the student’s community, civic engagement, service-learning, and incorporating sustainability and literacy. One interesting example of Champlain Elementary’s programming is called The Living Machine. It is a series of tanks to model the Champlain Basin, teeming with plants, fish, and information regarding everything the children have learned about the basin and its ecological importance.
Despite this positive classroom experience, the reality is not as simple: “Ironically, none of the water or plants in the Living Machine has been brought from the Lake itself,” the school’s website explains, “because the Lake is infested with zebra mussels that clog the water intake and outlet pipes, competing for native species plants—an object lesson in what happens when humans ignore the complex interrelationships of the delicate web we share.” Although our current reality is flawed, programs like Champlain Elementary, that institute sustainability early on in a child’s education, provide a valuable opportunity for a bottom-up approach that fosters an entire generation truly devoted to a healthier planet.
To learn more about the Sustainable School’s Project, click here: http://www.sustainableschoolsproject.org/
Written by Abigail Fagan, class of 2014.