Sustainable Future - Executive Summary Assessment Answer

 Executive summary Springfield Primary School intends to establish an Educating for a Sustainable Future program. As this new program is implemented across the entire school, the leadership team believe that an Education for Sustainability (EfS) thinking can be developed across the staff, students and families of the school. The report outlines why the school believes that moving towards an EfS model across the school is beneficial for the students of Springfield Primary and how EfS encourages a global mindset of each and every citizen of the school. The report details the three initiatives that the school will implement in the classroom, outdoor spaces and within the wider community. The conclusion of the report is that the Australian curriculum and resources provided by the Australian Government will enable Springfield Primary School to carry out meaningful EfS to its students and that educating students to live their lives through a sustainable mindset will benefit future generations. A number of recommendation have been made that future proof the program through establishing a sustainable committee, that has the support of staff and parents, and developing cost saving renewable energy initiatives supported by government incentives. 1.1. Background and context Springfield Primary School is situated on spacious 3 hectare, leafy grounds in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. With just over 300 students comprising of kindergarten to grade six, students have plenty of room for recreational play. Springfield primary school is a co-ed school that has no structured Education for Sustainability (EfS) program in place. The staff at Springfield Primary School are curious, but anxious as to what developing an Environmental Sustainable program will mean for them, how it will impact their lesson planning and the implications it will have on their teaching methods. Table of contents 1. Executive summary 1 1.1. Background and context 1 2. Introduction: 3 3. Main Body 4 3.1. Ecological Literacy 4 3.2. Key Initiatives 4 3.2.1. Classrooms: Beeswax Wraps 4 3.2.2. Outdoor Space: Worm Farm 4 3.2.3. Wider community: Government and Council Initiatives 4 4 Conclusion 4 5 Recommendations 4 6 Reference: 4 2. Introduction Springfield Primary School carries out sustainable projects in line with the Australian Curriculum, however these requirement can be seen as a tokenistic approach to EfS, as there is currently no requirement for an ongoing sustainability program for the school. The purpose of this report is to outline the new sustainable initiatives that the leadership team wish to implement throughout the school to become ecoliterate. The leadership team of Springfield Primary School along with the School Council acknowledge the importance for Educating for Sustainability (EfS). With the support of the school community, Springfield Primary School wish to implement an “Educating for a Sustainable Future Program” (The Program). In developing the program, Springfield Primary School will develop three key initiatives for the school to implement. This report will outline why Springfield Primary School are developing this new program and introduce the three initiatives the school will implement as it concentrates on imbedding Education for Sustainability into everyday living. The program will follow the Australian Curriculum priorities that “connects and relates relevant aspects of Sustainability across learning areas and subjects” (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2017, version 8.3). The school will also take instruction from The Australian Government’s action plan for delivering education for sustainability. The action plan acknowledges that EfS is to equip all people with “knowledge, skills and understanding to make decisions based on environmental, social and economic implications” (DEWHA, 2010, p. 4). The school will be undertaking a dramatic shift through implementing this sustainable program. Springfield Primary School understands that while implementing new initiatives, staff and community may feel overwhelmed by the introduction of the program. The school will conduct open communication channels and hold professional development planning for its education staff and provide literature of the school’s new EfS initiatives to families. Implementing education for a sustainable future to the students and community, Springfield Primary School intends to incorporate sustainable education into every subject. Education for Sustainability is an approach to education, teaching and learning that prepares people to think critically, shape social, economic, political and ecological conditions (cite). The Decade of Education for Sustainable Developments, XXXXXXX provides educators with tools to shape the way young people think about sustainability by offering children authentic learning opportunities with real world experiences ( cite). Teachers have a critical role to play as education has been identified as the best hope for preparing citizens for a societal shift towards sustainability and the challenges of the future (UNESCO, 2005). At Springfield Primary School, challenging the students to think outside of the Anthropocene time that we are currently in and develop their thinking and attitude to be that of a biocentrism thinking, will align itself with both Early Childhood Australia and the Australian Curriculum. Early Childhood Australia believe that “educators will work with children to help them understand they are global citizens with shared responsibilities to the environment and humanity” (Early Childhood Australia, 2006, cited in Bone, 2010, p. 27). EfS introduces children to a mind shift, where living sustainably is essential not optional (Elliott, 2010), and maybe a different thinking to what they are exposed to through family and culture. Children deserve early education that takes their role as a citizen and their capability to understand complex ideas seriously (Davis, 2010). With the initiatives that Springfield Primary School are delivering to their students deep ecology of sustainability, ultimately is the approach that the leadership team believe will take place. Through guidance and support from the Australian Curriculum, Springfield Primary School will develop “knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living” (ACARA, 2017, v.8.3). Springfield Primary School values nurturing students to reach their full potential with an enriching curriculum. All students are taught skills and values necessary for success in education, life and work. At Springfield Primary School, having students leave as well-educated citizens who have the capability, confidence and independence to make a positive contribution to our society is what drives the education staff to commit to enriching the students with an EfS mind-set. Springfield Primary School want to inspire meaningful and effective thinking when it comes to sustainability. When it comes to EfS, “the only meaningful and effective solutions to the climate crisis involves massive changes in human behaviour and thinking” (Gore, 2009, p.315). Efs should change the way people live, not just how they talk. The report has been arranged into two main sections: a Main Body, which identifies what ecological literacy means for the school and a detail outline of the three initiatives; a Recommendations sections which provides future aspirations the school has for its sustainability program. 3. Main Body 3.1. Ecological Literacy Introducing EfS into the learning material at Springfield Primary School, the leadership team believe fostering a deep understanding of the environment and its connectedness with nature, will make it more likely for the students to grow into responsible citizens who care about the earth in which they live. “Knowing, caring and practical competence together” (Orr, 1990), is how demonstrating an understanding of ecological literacy will support the students of Springfield Primary School. Ecological literacy develops understanding of how people and societies relate to one another and to natural systems, and how they might do so sustainably (Orr, 1990). As Boehnert (2012) outlines, “the contradiction between the generation of unlimited human ‘needs’ and the limits of natural resources must be approached with a frame of mind that acknowledges material realities; basic ecological embeddedness must become a primary concern” (p. 34). Benefits of introducing ecological literacy to the students of Springfield Primary School, is their capacity for personal and collective action for the whole school and community to become active participants in finding solutions, through problem solving and critical thinking, that will support EfS. It is strongly believed that ecological literacy or even “biophilia” will develop attitudes of appreciation and concern for the environment and that the students will understand the connection between human’s and natural systems and their processes (Wilson, 1984). 3.2. Key Initiatives With the implementation of “Educating for a Sustainable Future Program”, Springfield Primary School will develop three key initiatives for the whole school to implement as they reach their target of being ecoliterate. The initiatives will target the classrooms, the outdoor spaces also involve the wider community. 3.1.1. Classrooms: Beeswax Wraps  Currently, Springfield Primary School provides recycle bins and “general” waste bins in every classroom and staff room. Around “50 million tonnes of waste” (Evans, 2017) is being thrown out in Australia each year. Students bring their lunches to school in plastic wrap or plastic sealable bags and struggle to comprehend which bin their rubbish should go in. With this in mind, the leadership team are implementing “rubbish free lunches” in every classroom across the school. With the support of the textile department, each student from Kindergarten to grade six, will make their own beeswax wraps. Beeswax wraps are reusable, washable and sustainable alternative to the single use plastic and cling wrap (BeeWrappy, 2018). As each students brings their lunch wrapped in the beeswax wrappers or in containers, eliminating plastic, each class will be granted “house” points under the new sustainable program and “house” winners will be announced at the end of each term. Putting in place this first initiative, stimulates a shift in mind-set amongst the students and staff to encourage the beeswax wrappers to be used throughout the school. Springfield Primary School supports the encouragement of students into a “collaboration of learning and teaching that includes tackling issues that our society faces” (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence, 1999, p. 7). 3.1.2. Outdoor Space: Worm Farm Springfield Primary School has been taking 720 litres of waste each week to the council waste management station since the beginning of term 2. With this in mind, the implementation of a worm farm will be set up parallel to the bike shed. A worm farm exhibits nutrient rich compost that can be used as fertiliser for the school gardens (SEED, 2015). Using the old fridge from the new refurbished canteen, the worm farm is ideal in breaking down the fruit and vegetable scraps thrown out by students and staff, cardboard and shredded paper. Staff and students will be encouraged to develop processes within each grade to make worm farming an easy and sustainable activity for the school. The junior school council will provide details of the process for each class to follow. Developing a worm farm for the school supports the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. The curriculum identifies a worm farm under the organising ideas: systems OI.1, OI.2 and OI. 3 (ACARA, 2017, v.8.3). The leadership team see the introduction of a worm farm for the school as a cross-curriculum project for every year level to develop connections with nature and biocentrism thinking. “Children need to bond with the natural world before we ask them to save it” (Sobel, 1996, p. 10). The leadership team aspire to encourage students to view themselves as members of the web of life, to open their thinking to include an interconnectedness between all living things (Center for Ecoliteracy, 2012). Transforming the school to think EfS, and enabling behaviour changes within the school community, the students of Springfield Primary School will generate opinions and interact, share values and meaning to enable transformative learning to take place. 3.1.3. Wider community: Government and Council Initiatives Springfield Primary School is connecting with the local council, as they are a member of the Western Alliance for Sustainable Learning (WASL). WASL offers professional development, networking and educational sessions to sustainability educators within its council area (City of Whitehorse, n.d.). With support from WASL, each teacher will be given resources and tools to implement EfS into their planning. The school is committing to join the ResourceSmart Schools initiative, a Victorian Government program established to assist schools to embed sustainability into everyday life. With the assistance of the ResourceSmart School initiatives and WASL, Springfield Primary School look to the community and the state government, to adopt authentic learning opportunities for every subject. The school engagement with the wider community will embed EfS into every subject and make EfS an act of everyday living for the students, families and staff of Springfield Primary School. Developing empathy for all forms of life encourages students to shift their thinking of that of societies, where much of societie’s thinking is similar to that of the Anthropocene time. Developing relationships with the wider community will encourage the students of Springfield Primary School to broaden their care and concern for all living things. Integrating EfS across the curriculum into every subject is supported by the connections Springfield Primary School will develop through the wider community resources. 4 Conclusion This report provided an understanding of why Springfield Primary School is prioritising Education for Sustainability across its subjects. The leadership team believes that an educational sustainable program will imbed EfS into everyday living and equip knowledge, skills and understanding to make better environmental decisions for future generations. EfS prepares critical thinking, a broader understanding of social, economic, political and ecological conditions. The three initiatives introduced in the report will be implemented throughout the classroom; beeswax wraps will reduce the plastic wrappers, and it will reduce the plastic waste sent to landfill. The outdoor spaces will be supported with a worm farm, that each class will have a process to follow, and will dramatically reduce the litres of waste being sent out of the school grounds. The final initiative to come from this report is through contact with the wider community. Connecting with vital resources from council and state government, will support the teachers of the school as they implement EfS into their lesson plans. The following recommendations to support the Educating for a Sustainable Future program to Springfield Primary School are; 5 Recommendations  • Install solar panels • Establish a Sustainable committee, which is represented by staff, parents and students. Thank you