Últimas noticias y actualizaciones

At the start of each school year, I introduce my students to the Global Goals and the Brújula de sostenibilidad to kickstart their thoughts on the overall concept and role of sustainable practices in the world. As they begin to grasp these concepts, we conduct a sustainability assessment of the school using the Sustainability Compass to analyze the findings. This data collection guides students in finding direction and feeling empowered to address sustainability issues within our school community.

Encouraging students to embrace the diverse perspectives of the Compass points of economics, society, nature, y wellbeing is key to deepening their understanding of complex issues and inspiring innovative solutions. Organizing the first Sustainability Week ever at DAS was an opportunity to get the school community excited to plant the rooftop gardens in the hopes of getting students to appreciate the value of growing their own food that can hopefully be used in their Life X class (the Finnish equivalent of Home Economics). The event successfully brought colleagues, students, and families together to explore sustainable practices. Seeing students aged 3–16 engage in activities like sprouting seeds, planting, and composting was rewarding. Building community and collaboration across our diverse community was a highlight of the week. So, the next step is to involve them in organizing issues under the Global Goals using a poster titled “What Can A 5th Grader Do?”. Students choose the issue they are passionate about, such as energy efficiency or waste reduction, and take action on their issue of choice throughout the year. Some of the actions include writing letters to teachers and administrators, making posters, and preparing and giving presentations to lower elementary classes and assemblies with the upper grades. This approach allows students to align their interests and skills with sustainability, fostering a holistic understanding and empowering them to strengthen our school community.

This year’s school sustainability assessment covers areas like energy consumption, waste management, water conservation, and community involvement. This evaluation helps us identify where sustainable practices can be integrated, setting meaningful goals aligned with the Global Goals and the Brújula Educación systems thinking tools. 

Our efforts culminated in our school’s first Sustainability Week, where grade 4 and 5 students, guided by my teaching partner Alex Maros and me, engaged in helping younger students sprout seedlings, planting the rooftop gardens, giving presentations on composting, and designing composting bins in collaboration with design teacher (my husband) Joseph McPherson to reduce cafeteria waste. This hands-on experience is preparing them for implementing composting in the school garden and witnessing firsthand the transformation of waste into valuable compost. 

Recognizing the prevalence of screen time and its impact on students, we sought to prioritize hands-on activities that build community connections and empower students to make a difference based on their interests and strengths. Integrating sustainability into our classroom is crucial in today’s digital age. By conducting school sustainability assessments, aligning actions with the Global Goals and the Sustainability Compass, and organizing immersive events like Sustainability Week, students learn to think critically, act sustainably, and drive positive change towards a more inclusive and sustainable world, giving them a richer perspective to understand their own school and local community.