This is the second of two stories from GreenNotes part of the ‘Green Schools National Network’ – looking at some of the ways that educators are using literacy to deepen students’ understanding of sustainability and engage them in meaningful...
‘What Does It Mean To Be A Citizen In The 21st Century? – Fostering Civic Engagement Among Youth in K-12 Schools’. “[T]he young are idealistic, have an underdeveloped sense of their own mortality, and are afflicted with an exaggerated thirst...
As schools reopen amidst COVID-19 and the chronic pandemic of white supremacy, the need to do so with equity at the forefront is greater now than ever before. The student–teacher relationship has transformed over the past year as educators upskilled to teach virtually...
Envision a sustainable future marked by ecological integrity, shared prosperity, and social equity where individual and group choices are rooted in environmental and social responsibility (NAAEE, n.d.-a). Imagine a future where current environmental challenges –...
“Environmental and sustainability literacy is needed to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to create the future we want – one with economic opportunity for all, a fair and just society, thriving ecosystems, and healthy human and more than human...
Leadership for Green Schools: Sustainability for Our Children, Our Communities, and Our Planet – This is a wonderfully rich book that uncovers the many facets of what it means to be a green school, and the leadership tools needed to embrace whole school...
It happened in the blink of an eye. One day, schools were packed with kids shuffling down hallways between classes, teachers chasing down homework assignments, and administrators fielding parent requests and student events. Then everything changed. The halls were...
With a return to school becoming a reality for many, and with so many questions around the future of education, where does one turn to for leadership? It’s unlikely any one person has the answers, and nor could they. This time is unprecedented. And although...
A movement cannot rely on just one person or organization to grow and create change in the world. It requires many helping hands, working together, lifting each other up. At the Green Schools National Network (GSNN), nurturing long-lasting, meaningful partnerships...
With many resources available offering recommendations and options for a safe return to school and how to implement physical distancing, it seems a great time to have a conversation about what ‘A Return To Learning’ could look like. One with a greater focus on the...
COVID-19 has directly impacted students through widespread school closures, loss of learning, and widening disparities. It has also had consequential indirect impacts on students. A troubling rise in child neglect (Thomas et al., 2020), stress related to food...
Educators face a daunting task—preparing the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to work toward a more sustainable way of life. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of seventeen global goals set by the United Nations...
Creating change at the school district level is hard. Systemic changes need to be implemented. Educational programs and teaching and learning focus needs to be shifted. Culture needs to be created and supported. These efforts require careful coordination and change...
In a much celebrated article entitled, Twelve Places to Intervene in a System, Donella Meadows wrote that the power to transcend mindsets or paradigms is the most upstream place to intervene in a system to make positive systemic change. The mindset or...
Learning and moving inside and outside the classroom – seems like a simple idea that is easy to do – but we know from research and everyday life that ‘moving’ for well-being is easier said than done. Daily physical activity and movement in schools is a topic that has...
Those of us who are engaged in environmental and sustainability literacy talk a lot about developing a “sense of place,” or a better understanding and appreciation for our immediate environment. This is not an easy task within the confines of a classroom environment....
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting two schools of our customers in West Virginia. We have worked closely with both schools, MUEE (Marshall University Early Education) Stem School and Explorer Academy, to create learning environments that connect to their...
Every year an amazing group of people from across North America come together with the purpose of laying the foundation for the next strategic steps for the Green Schools National Network (GSNN). It is also a perfect time for us to break out of our day to day, deepen...
As 2016 comes to an end, it is important to stay connected to the people and places we care about most. In my world, the schools and communities with whom I work keep me connected to the real mission and vision of the Green Schools National Network (GSNN): to...
The world is a big place, and for many of us it’s difficult to fathom how the Earth’s natural systems and cycles function on a global scale. What happens when environmental education becomes so broad it starts to become less relatable and comprehensible? Has...
Sprig, the last classroom table you’ll ever need
