Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is sustainability education?
    Answer:

    Sustainability education is an interdisciplinary field that looks to prepare students to address the wicked problems that are facing the world. Building from the Earth Charter and the Our Common Futures Report, sustainability looks to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations by addressing the complex relationships between environmental, economic, and society

     

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  • I have so much to teach already, how do I add in one more thing?
    Answer:

    Instructors have a lot to cover already. Sustainability should not become an add-on to your already full curriculum. We are asking you to find places where your instruction already supports sustainability and be more intentional about growing your practice from here. This may mean asking a different question in an existing problem set or doing that project you've been hesitant to do with students. 

    As student engagement and interest grows we know that you'll continue finding ways to adapt your current materials to further support sustainable teaching practices.

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  • Is sustainability or climate change in my content standards?
    Answer:

    You may not find the words sustainability or climate change in your specific content standards. However, the skills that are being asked for in your standards, such as critical thinking, creative thinking, clear communication, analyzing information, and using evidence, are all key skills that support building sustainability literacy in students. In addition sustainability looks to build knowledge and skills for students in the areas of sustainability, systems thinking, social justice, futures thinking, and active citizenship, which also have clear connections to state and national content standards.

    Some states, like Washington and Wisconsin, have specific standards that address sustainability or environmental education. If you are unfamiliar with if your state offers these pages, please visit your state's education agency for more information.

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  • Why should I teach about sustainability? Doesn't that fall into another content area to teach?
    Answer:

    Since sustainability is interdisciplinary, with a goal of inclusive and equitable education for all students, every content area can and should be teaching about sustainability. Sustainability addresses the interaction between environmental, social, and economic ways of thinking, which makes gives it a nice segue into any of the topics you may find in your institution

     

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  • What is sustainability literacy?
    Answer:

    Since sustainability is interdisciplinary, with a goal of inclusive and equitable education for all students, every content area can and should be teaching about sustainability. Sustainability addresses the interaction between environmental, social, and economic ways of thinking, which makes gives it a nice segue into any of the topics you may find in your institution

     

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  • What if I can't do this all perfectly?
    Answer:

    That is OK! Pick a place that you'd like to work on adding in more sustainability and then grow your practice from there. For some, this may be focusing on more inclusive teaching practices, while others may start to grow their lessons and activities. Every little step forward helps!

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  • How did you analyze materials?
    Answer:

    Building from sustainability education theory, materials were analyzed using an evolving framework that addressed the following areas:

    • Categories of Sustainability Competencies
    • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
    • MIT Learning Goals
    • Sustainability Instructional Approaches

    Many of the current materials are open educational resources (OERs) available through MIT. We hope to build on these resources by having you and other instructors submit lessons that have worked for them.

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