Luminous-ground

Enviroschools: Places of Real Learning

What if schools actually took responsibility for the well-being of the whole school, the community AND the eco-system?

That’s precisely what their whole school approach to learning in New Zealand has been doing since the late 90s and now the Enviroschools’ network has really caught on and has expanded to one quarter of all schools in the country. It’s also being adopted in other countries including Chile, Singapore and Brunei.

Schools become places where kaupapa is alive.  This Maori word has no direct English equivalent, but “foundations, principles, elements, themes and ground rules” comes the closest in meaning. The kaupapa of Enviroschools involves empowering young people to investigate, explore ideas, make decisions, take action and reflect on the changes they have created. It's all about respecting the whole eco-system. Their real-life learning  makes them aware of the fact that all communities are made up of people, plants, animals as well as the entire landscape in which everything lives.

Enviroschools work with trained facilitators who guide them on their sustainable journey. They create valuable links with other programs and relevant experts in the community. Sharing knowledge is an essential part of the Enviroschools' process. At the core is their Action Learning Cycle.

New Zealand has shown the world that schools can be places not only for sustainable learning and sustainable living, but also for sustainable “being.”

Set Your "sites" on Place

Several websites have caught my recent attention. One of the best blogs I've run across is, appropriately enough, called Importance of Place. It invites people to share their thoughts about why "an exploration of PLACE is so vital to human well being and how to create PLACE in a time when sprawl and rampant commercialism are removing the texture and vitality from America."                                                                                      

    A slide show called "Images of Place and No-Place" mesmerized     me for longer than I care to admit.                 

                                                      

Here's a quote worth passing along from that site:

“Americas are woefully ignorant of geography and of place—ignorant, that is, of the natural and humanly constructed worlds that have nurtured us, inspired us, and, sad to say, too often frustrated us. It is hard to imagine concretely how we can envisage the good life (the humane life) ad plan for the future unless we have some clear idea as to the sort of places that we wish to exist.”
                 Yi-Fu Tuan, Founding Board Member, Center for American Places

                                      

Every year one in six people change their address. Like many people, I am fascinated at what draws people to certain places to live. Check out this one: ePodunk and explore 46,000 places--vibrant places you've probably never heard of. This blog explores places with literary events, local events, notable personalities and history--and you can send historic post cards! 

Another site you may wish to explore is Thomas Woods' called "Making Sense of Place"

He says:

“People develop a "sense of place" through experience and knowledge of a particular area. A sense of place emerges through knowledge of the history, geography and geology of an area, its flora and fauna, the legends of a place, and a growing sense of the land and its history after living there for a time.

The feel of the sun on your face or the rain on your back, the rough and smooth textures of the land, the color of the sky at morning and sunset, the fragrance of the plants blooming in season, the songs and antics of birds and the cautious ramblings of mammals are environmental influences that help to define a place. Memories of personal and cultural experiences over time make a place special, favorite objects that shape to your hand or body with use, songs or dances that emerge from the people of a place, special skills you develop to enjoy your area--these too help to define a place and anchor you in it.”

Besides planning and research, Woods gives environmental educational events to help young people better appreciate "place." And, he creates wonderful interpretive signs for tail walks and environmental venues.