Eco Education
From Service-Learning Wiki
| This program was profiled in Growing to Greatness 2005. |
Contents |
Service-Learning in Eco Education
Eco Education focuses on training and supporting teachers in implementing the two environmental service-learning curricula it has created: City Connections and Urban Stewards. The City Connections curriculum emphasizes ecological content knowledge, understanding of values and attitudes towards the natural and urban environment, familiarity with community organizations working for progress in environmental areas, and the development of research and presentation skills. The Urban Stewards curriculum builds on the skills gained in City Connections, and students design and implement action projects in their communities. Eco Education’s “model schools” implement the two curricula in two consecutive years.
Program Coordinator Christopher Feider says that teachers from a wide range of disciplines come to Eco Education because they are interested in environmental education, and/or they are interested in infusing Eco Education’s curriculum into their subject. Most teachers come to the program with enthusiasm for using a curriculum that emphasizes student voice; other teachers are skeptical at first, but become advocates of Eco Education’s student-voice emphasis.
Eco Education asks all teachers to participate for a minimum of two years. Participating teachers receive an intensive training in August, and continuing support and training throughout the school year. Eco Education’s program coordinators meet with participating teachers at least every three weeks, attend classes, and facilitate connections between classes and community organizations.
In return for their participation, teachers receive stipends, resources (including guidebooks and other supporting materials), funding for field trips, and access to mini-grant funding, which students must apply to receive. In the past, Eco Education students addressed habitat restoration, rainwater control, removal of toxic household waste, and other urban environmental issues.
Scope of Service-Learning
This year, 30 teachers from 14 middle and high schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul participated in Eco Education’s programs, involving approximately 1,200 students. Several years ago, Eco Education had to go to schools to recruit new teachers. Today, there is a waiting list for Eco Education programs.
Intended Outcomes
Feider emphasizes the importance of quality in meeting outcome goals. The program is rigorous and requires teachers to try new methods. While teachers are ultimately responsible for assessing student performance in the program, Eco Education has done pre- and post-tests with students and teachers.
Teachers report that students have increased self-confidence, greater ecological knowledge, better understanding of issues confronting their urban environment, increased familiarity with the roles of local nonprofit and government agencies, and better communication skills as a result of Eco Education programs.
Feider says that Eco Education has “found that the service-learning method is an effective way for teachers and students to both learn about environmental education, and take meaningful and lasting action in their communities.” In essence, Feider says, “we use service-learning because it works.”
