Education for Sustainability (EfS)
Also known as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
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See the SOSI summary page describing Education for Sustainability here (100KB PDF)
National Sustainability Education Week:
November 9-13
By official proclamation of Governor Ted Kulongoski, Oregon now recognizes November 9-13 as Sustainability Education Week.
View the proclamation in detail here!
Oregon is just the latest state to sign on to the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development's call to participate in sustainability education learning beginning the week of November 9-13, and continuing throughout the year.
The U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development (USPESD) K-12 & Teacher Education Sector, with its educational partners across the nation, invites students, teachers, schools, colleges of education, and community members to join in the recognition of Sustainability Education Week. The USPESD encourages participation in sustainability education learning opportunities beginning the week of November 9-13 and continuing throughout the school year. Explore the many resources available from their website: http://www.uspartnership.org/main/show_passage/33.
Susan Castillo, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Oregon Department of Education, echoes support for the Governor's proclamation:
"Please join me in supporting Sustainability Education Week (November 9-13, 2009) here in Oregon and the U.S., a time for all of us to reflect on the challenges we face as citizens of the Earth -- and to re-commit ourselves to making our world a better place.
The unprecedented problems our planet faces are the result of years of neglect and short-sightedness. We know that our young people will have their work cut out for them when they grow up, and we want them to be up to the challenge.
Our schools play a critical role in our society as we work toward creating a greener, more sustainable future. That's why I want our schools to do everything they can to prepare students for the challenges they will face and to nurture their commitment and creativity as they grow up to become the stewards of our planet.
For a good place to learn more about what schools can do, visit the Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative at www.sustainableschools.org for more information.
- Susan Castillo
Why Educate for Sustainability?
Our students deserve an education that provides them with the attitudes, skills, values, perspectives and knowledge necessary to understand and successfully manage the many interconnected global systems and changes.
In the short term, students find this education more relevant and engaging which increases learning. Ultimately,
- EVERY organization needs all employees to have this education to help them support a sustainable future.
- EVERY citizen needs this education to be able to contribute to a sustainable society.
The K-12 system must provide the foundation.
What is Education for Sustainability?
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Education for Sustainability (EfS) utilizes the entire education system to transform our societies to achieve a sustainable future.
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Note that education about sustainability is just one aspect; to understand the concept of sustainability.
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Every academic subject contributes to education for sustainability.
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A sustainable facility and practices contribute to Education for Sustainability too, providing a living laboratory in which students can deepen their understanding of sustainability.
Without this, students learn through observation that although such practices make sense in theory,they are not valued enough to actually implement. -
EfS requires RE-ORIENTING education to include the principles, skills, perspectives, and values needed for sustainability, while updating or eliminating obsolete things.
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It integrates environmental, economic, and social issues.
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It is based on local needs, but recognizes that fulfilling local needs often has global consequences.
Sustainability Education
Is-
- Integrative
- Multidisciplinary
- Inside and outside of the classroom
- Linked to content standards in multiple areas
- Highly motivating to students
But it might not be every one of these things all the time.
It may include, but is not only-
- Environmental Education
- Science education
- Social Studies
- Advanced or enrichment curriculum
- An add-on module
It is NOT-
- Based on a particular political bias
How do we do it?
The effort of providing an education for sustainability must be pursued at many levels. No single entity or discipline can do it by themselves, but if they all do something then progress will be achieved. This includes the dedicated individual, a whole school, a school district priority all the way to the international initiative.
There is no “right” way to begin. Sustainability content is typically already present in existing curriculum and it’s helpful to start with an audit of what’s there. The following delivery options are all being utilized.
- Sustainability itself, and related topics, as their own subject
Examples: 1-2 day lessons, 1-2 week integrated thematic units or full courses
- Sustainability as the context within which to teach core subjects
- Sustainability projects
Examples: culminating/senior projects, service learning requirements, place-based learning
ULTIMATE GOAL: The elements needed to understand and practice Sustainability are integrated into instruction at the district level, and delivered via all the strategies included above. An EfS framework of some sort should guide the effort, such as the national EfS standards or the Cloud Institute core content areas.
To enable schools to provide Education for Sustainability we must:
- Provide professional development for educators.
- Provide educators with resources and curriculum to teach for sustainability, and integrate them into the foundation of the school and district education program.
- Integrate Education for Sustainability into pre-service education through colleges of education.
- Ensure that state standards incorporate the needed elements to educate for sustainability.
- Recognize the contribution of a sustainable school facility and practices to student education.