Beyond Interconnected Sustainability Education: A Case Study of Green Schools of Excellence in North Carolina

• In Event: 15.059 - Fairmont Royal York Roundtable Session One
  In Roundtable Session: 15.059-5 - A Statewide Collaboration for Integrating Education for Sustainability Into Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Although there is a growing body of research on schools with a focus on sustainability education, there are few studies on green schools in the United States. In this qualitative case study, we collected data at three schools that recently received the NC Green Schools of Excellence award. All three schools in this study embodied whole-school approaches to sustainability. The interconnectedness between the campus, curriculum, and community was evident from interviews, observations, and student work. Perhaps more importantly, we noticed other factors -- not necessarily related to being green -- that contributed to their identity and success, which may lead to new questions about the roles that green schools might be able to play in transforming education more broadly.

Authors

• Scott Morrison, Elon University

• Nathan Hunnicutt, Elon University