Sustainable Schoolyards

Abstract

Sustainable Schoolyards is a 5-month professional learning program run by the California Global Education Project to facilitate teachers working with teachers to create and implement climate justice projects. The program meets virtually 3 times between January and May, with follow-up support in between. Virtual connections with another classroom show students they are not alone in their actions. The program helps teachers prepare students to take action for social justice using both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Competence Framework. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals help teachers and students connect the specific action they are taking on local issues to action being taken around the world and the Global Competence Framework helps teachers and students build capacity for global competence, and prepare for a world of increasing complexity, diversity and interconnectedness. Examples are shared from a TK and Kindergarten classroom that participated in the Sustainable Schoolyards, and were paired up for the virtual exchange component of the program. The TK class engaged in a school-wide campaign about food waste and composting, and the Kindergarten class learned about responsible production and consumption, and published a book to share their knowledge with their community.

Keywords:

• Earth systems/weather
• environmental change
• physical changes
• NGSS
• K–2
• obtaining
• evaluating
• and communicating information
• use of technology
• field trips/field study
• ecosystems
• interactions
• energy
• dynamics

Acknowledgment

This material is based upon work supported by the California Global Education Project (CGEP).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Devon Azzam

Devon Azzam is the assistant director of outreach, the regional director of UCSB’s California Global Education Project, and a graduate student.

Kaylee Laub

Kaylee Laub is a former middle school teacher and graduate student.

Danielle Harlow

Danielle Harlow ([email protected]) is a professor and associate dean, all at the University of California, Santa Barbara.