STAGE 3: Integrate Sustainability Systematically

The following components provide the means to fully integrate sustainable practices and thinking. They make the effort permanent, even while students, parents and staff move on. The order in which they occur will vary but ultimately they are all important.

Plan ongoing sustainability training for all levels of district staff in order to

  • Ensure a deep and common understanding
  • Enable support and participation from everyone.

Identify operational impacts to sustainability

Establish 2-way communication about sustainability efforts between central office and all school sites in order to

  • Ensure that everyone is informed and shares a common vision and inspiration
  • Ensure communication about both the big picture and the detail initiatives

Identify curriculum gaps in providing Education for Sustainability.

Establish sustainability baseline to understand current educational and operational performance

  • Include the big-picture metrics that will change over time.

Establish annual objectives, set targets and strategically plan and implement projects to eliminate the impacts and gaps.

Evaluate and adjust as needed

  • Use established metrics to track progress toward objectives.
  • Revisit targets and projects and make adjustments if needed.
  • See the Assessment section.

Integrate these components into all district policies, procedures and activities.

 

The Ultimate Result of integrating sustainability systematically is:

  • Eventually, there will be a new Sustainability Ethic in place that guides all education, activities and decisions toward a sustainable future.
  • The school / district will eventually become fully Sustainable
    • Activities result in no negative impacts to sustainability.
    • Students receive all Education for Sustainability content and aspects.
  • Some activities become restorative: District activities result in net positive impacts that begin to correct damage done in the past.
 

SSC

Take Action

The Sustainability Journey

Take Action - Intro

STAGE 1: Establish Selected Practices

STAGE 2: Embrace Sustainability as an Organization

STAGE 3: Integrate Sustainability Systematically

Thoughts to guide the sustainability journey

Demonstrated top-level support REALLY helps!

Include and train “on-the-ground” staff in order to achieve maximum success.

Change is difficult. It’s very helpful (perhaps necessary) to obtain coaching from someone not employed by the district.