Learning in Nature Benefits Children and Teachers

Nature and green spaces are conducive to both health and learning. Green spaces have been shown to contribute to health and well being and this appears to be especially true for children. Research shows that both teachers and students benefit from exposure to green spaces.

Kids who are exposed to the outdoors not only learn better they are also more physically active which contributes to their overall well being. Even children suffering from learning disabilities like ADHD appear to benefit from exposure to green spaces.

Climate Science Bill of Rights and a Fact Based Education

In the US a battle is brewing between those who want to teach children the science behind climate change and those who want to teach kids politically motivated revisionism that caters to the agenda of the fossil fuel industry.

The National Research Council is collaboratively working with federal agencies, the National Governors Association, teachers and education experts to develop a new set of science education standards. This science based approach will apply to contentious topics like evolution and climate change.

Three Birds Renewable Energy Education Initiative

Three Birds is an organization which promotes educating the young about the value of renewable energy. Their vision is that "every student in America will have meaningful learning experiences with renewable energy before graduating high school." In partnership with public schools in low-income communities, Three Birds develops renewable energy initiatives that engage and inspire students, thus creating a culture of curiosity and environmental stewardship.

Our society's best source of creative capital is our children. To solve our toughest problems, we need our children to be engaged and involved in finding solutions. So, how do we engage and inspire our students? According to Three Birds, solar panels, wind turbines, energy monitoring systems, and related technologies are the seeds of innovation that can grab the attention of students. These technologies can engage students while teaching them what they need to know to invent their own solution.

Children and the Future of Sustainability

As the most vulnerable members of our societies, environmental destruction impacts children first and foremost. Children are also those who are most likely to endure the impacts of a polluted environment over the longest period. Climate change is already killing one thousand children every day. The importance of educating children about the environment was addressed at the Rio+ conference. There are some basic sustainability issues that must be addressed. Things like clean water and clean air are basic concerns that are fundamentally important to many children all around the world.

In the world today there are 2.6 billion people are without access to basic sanitation; 67 million children of primary school age are out of school. A lack water and sanitation services which is a leading cause of mortality for both children and their mothers. Indoor air pollution from particulate matter is responsible for 900,000 deaths in children under the age of five.

If We Want to Protect our Children from Gun Violence Shouldn’t We Also Want to Protect them from Deadly Pollution?

While there is growing agreement surrounding the need to protect children from gun violence, we continue to ignore another heinous issue that kills 1000 children every day. Protecting children from harm is a cultural universal, but we must concede that we failed to do so at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th 2012.  We must also admit that we are failing to protect our children from the deadly impacts of an ever more polluted planet.