Problematizing the Definition of Sustainability in Green Schools: Questions from a Case Study in Guatemala

• In Event: Roundtable Session (Wednesday II)
  In Refereed Round-Table Session: Social sustainability in international green schools: questions, challenges, strengths

Proposal

With the ratification of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, as well as with the increased impact and awareness of climate change, many countries and communities around the world are exploring ways to develop new and locally-contextualized models of sustainability education. One such effort in Guatemala is the Antigua Green School, which pursues ecology and sustainability as core values in the processes of teaching and learning. Within this educational institution, nature is considered the primary teacher, one which merits great respect, protection, and attention. A dedication to nature and the planet requires a reflective reassessment of assumptions regarding the goal of education and a restructuring of pedagogical processes towards the value of sustainability.

Through qualitative analysis of lived experience working as a teacher practitioner, a program manager, and the curriculum design leader within the school, the researcher explores to what extent the value of sustainability at Antigua Green School extends beyond the intentional process of connecting to the natural environment, the outdoors, and the well-being of the planet. Primary research questions include: How does the school promote building and sustaining relationships with the wider local community? To what extent does the curriculum and pedagogical approach truly support linguistic and cultural sustainability? How is the concept of sustainability explored and broadened to the sustainability of the self -- of health and well-being, of individuality and diversity, and of self-growth and self-expression -- as well as to the sustainability of the community and its languages and cultures?

Data was collected over 12 months through focus groups and semi-structured and informal interviews with caregivers, teachers, and leaders. Findings suggest that many challenges and contradictions have emerged in the process of this education initiative aimed towards multi-faceted sustainability. Social sustainability has been frequently sidelined and deprioritized despite commitments to a holistic, comprehensive conceptualization of sustainability. Specifically, the researcher will discuss the implications of the school’s use of imported, standardized curricula and the implications of and the challenges involved with not doing so. A unique curricular and pedagogical opportunity may be that of decolonization as a conduit for the sustainability of culture and community and improved contextual responsiveness.

Author

• Elisa A. Hartwig, Antigua Green School