Building an Environmental and Sustainability Education Community of Support

• In Event: Canadian Perspectives on Environmental and Sustainability Education in Teacher Education: Establishing a Research Community

Abstract

Teacher candidates can feel pressured to conform to the culture found in placement schools and to meet the expectations of their associate teachers and other mentors. Their desire to infuse or prioritize environmental and sustainability education (ESE) in their teaching may be supressed or stymied as a result. By broadening the base of responsibility for this aspect of education, and drawing on the expertise and facilities of the wider community, it may be possible to create a more conducive environment for teacher candidates’ work in ESE.
The Pathway to Stewardship and Kinship is a community-based project, in Peterborough, Ontario, whose aim is to create a supportive ESE environment for children from K-12. Its intention is to foster a generation of young people who will engage in care for the environment and their community. The project brings together university education faculty, early-years educators, outdoor educators, First Nations communities, NGOs, health professionals and local school boards. It is hoped that one outcome of this will be that teacher candidates encounter a transformed and supportive environment for ESE when they embark on their school–based placements. The project’s collective approach is similar to that used in Cincinnati to address failings in the school system (Kania & Kramer, 2011). It is an approach that recognizes that while there may be many players in the community doing good work, by acting collaboratively and for a larger vision it should be possible to achieve a synergy that far exceeds the impact of those individual players. This collaborative approach, all be it within a local community, mirrors the province-wide work being undertaken by initial teacher education providers in Ontario (Authors B), more widely in Canada (eseinfacultiesofed.ca) and in Australia (Ferreira, Ryan, Davis, Cavanagh & Thomas, 2009). It is a model that can easily be adapted for use in any community.
Meta-research and interviews with local environmental champions helped identify some key themes for inclusion in a framework: tending and caring; wonder; sense of place; interconnectedness; mentor support; exploring and discovering; engaging in action. Thirty landmarks identify opportunities that young people in K-12 should be entitled to, addressing the themes and linking to potential community providers. This means that all adults, including teacher candidates, who work with young people, have a clear framework to guide them in ESE work and a wealth of community partners ready and waiting to assist them.
The project has seen several schools and early years providers piloting the scheme. Some teacher candidates have had the opportunity to become involved in this. Members of the project team have designed questionnaire surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot by assessing the experiences and views of educators and the parents and guardians of the young people involved. Teacher candidates have been introduced to the work of the project, its themes and landmarks, and it is anticipated that they will become increasingly exposed to and engaged with the project as it grows, offering new research opportunities.

Authors

• Paul Elliott, Trent University

• Jacob Rodenburg, Camp Kawartha