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| pic: D. Sharon Pruitt |
I think it's always important not only to lead by example but to lay a groundwork of tools and knowledge for those growing up in a harder climate. This week for Neenan I looked to the future in Schools 2050: Accelerating the Connection Between Green Building and Green Learning. Sustainable infrastructure needs to include both the physical and the intellectual. Take a look and let us know your thoughts and suggestions for getting there.
Thanks Daniela for posting such a thoughtful article! I think that good design influences the overall well-being of a school and I believe that green-thinking is something that should be a value promoted in K-12 education. Organizations like Publicolor help students transform their schools by repainting them in warm colors and teaching students the skills of commercial painting. By allowing students to develop solutions for their schools' overall design, we are helping to prepare them to problem-solve environmental design questions in the future. When students become conscious of waste management services, in their own schools and homes, they can work to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. However, such strategies for lessening our environmental impact need to be taught explicitly. Gardening is a multi-modal activity that enables students learn how to care for their environment. Through composting, planting, and nurturing plants, students can understand how solar energy, water, CO2 and Oxygen can bring life from a little seed. If we expect students today to make good design decisions for green living and working tomorrow, then we need to begin making those same decisions today. We need to create opportunities for growth in green learning and green design.
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