A Cure For the Future
Why is Environmental Education so Important?
Education has always been a cornerstone of human development, shaping generations with knowledge and skills that drive personal growth and societal progress. It provides not only foundational learning but also influences socialization and prepares individuals for future opportunities. The content taught in schools profoundly impacts how individuals think, act, and contribute to the world around them.
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Preserving our Earth requires individuals to adopt more sustainable lifestyles. However, these steps are not something most people will discover on their own. Environmental Education serves as a vital gateway, equipping students with the knowledge and tools to embrace sustainability and, ultimately, contribute to saving our planet.
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Many schools, however, lack the time or resources to incorporate Environmental Education into their curriculum. This is where GreenWayz steps in, targeting these schools to ensure that students still have access to the knowledge and skills needed to develop sustainable lifestyles and make a lasting impact on the environment.
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An added focus is the integration of STEM concepts such as math, science, and technology, reinforcing classroom learning while introducing new opportunities to engage with critical, real-world challenges. This dual approach ensures that students not only learn about sustainability but also deepen their understanding of STEM disciplines, preparing them for future academic pursuits.
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One example from our after-school service day focused on recycling highlights the impact of our program. We conducted a sorting game where students were tasked with categorizing various used materials—such as containers, cans, bags, and boxes—into either recyclable or non-recyclable bins. The activity was conducted twice: once before teaching a lesson on proper recycling and once after.
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In the third-grade group, students initially sorted only 6 out of 20 items correctly. After the lesson and using a new set of materials, they repeated the activity, this time correctly sorting 19 out of 20 items. This simple 15-minute lesson led to a dramatic improvement in a skill these students can carry with them for life, showcasing the effectiveness of Environmental Education in real time.
"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it"
Robert Swan, British explorer and global environmental activist
What Other Benefits are there to Environmental Education?
The word "student" is derived from the Latin word studēre, which originally translates as "to desire" or "to be eager". Nowadays for many students, that desire and eagerness to learn has dissipated. For many, each school day serves as a long eight hours where students sit and wait for the final bell to ring. Environmental Education brings back that desire to learn - that desire to participate: Environmental Science is supposed to be fun. It gets kids excited to learn about how they can play a role in saving our planet. It gets kids excited to go outside and have hands-on interactions with the planet they live in. The best part is they are doing all of this while becoming an educated citizen on environmental topics.
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The impact of Environmental Education correlates to other aspects of the students' growth. Studies have shown that Environmental Education has led to a number of positive impacts: from improving academic performance to enhancing critical thinking skills to developing personal growth and life-building skills including confidence, autonomy, and leadership. The fun that the students have in the subject enhances their motivation, ultimately leading to a positive impact in areas across the board.
"Environmental education creates meaningful learning experiences and engages students in ways that help them grasp and retain new information more effectively than conventional curricula.”
Dr. Doug Knapp, Indiana University Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies
What is Taught in Environmental Education?
Environmental Education teaches students appropriate skills, knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes to cope with a rapidly changing world and promotes both personal and systemic transformation.
Environmental Education includes topics all across the board. Some topics include: pollution, biodiversity, the water cycle, recycling, food waste, and the list goes on. What is so special about Environmental Education is that students gain knowledge in a variety of areas such as chemistry, biology, ecology, mathematics, and more. What is taught does not need to be complex either; sometimes what causes one to change can be a simple fact or activity that sticks with them.
"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught"
Baba Dioum, founding member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the International Council for Environmental Law
How Popular is Environmental Education?
Environmental Education is a global problem. Every aspect of it applies to people across the globe. Despite its great importance, the frequency of Environmental Education does not align with its importance. In America, only 2/50 states require earth science / environmental science as a completed course for graduation. With this, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Physics showed that nearly 80% of high schoolers tested on Environmental Education literacy had inadequate knowledge.
This is an issue that impacts our entire planet, yet little action is being taken to teach it. Our goal is to reach out, both in person and through our influence, to schools that do not have an Environmental Education program. Whether it is because they don't know how to implement one, they are not aware of its importance, or don't think they have room in the schedule for it, we are here to show you it is possible and needed! The more the word spreads, the more it grows... power in numbers.