As all good teachers know, children are the future. If you’re reading the daily headlines about global warming and pollution, the future can look pretty unappealing and downright scary. Yet there are already scores of teenagers and children who have gotten a glimpse of that future and decided it is unacceptable and avoidable. These young people are making significant changes all over world. They are an inspiration, and they represent just a fraction of the imagination and hope the next generation has to offer. For example, Kids for Saving Earth (KSE) has been in existence since 1989. The first members have now become adults. Over and over again, KSE receives letters from kid members – now adult teachers who are continuing to spread the spirit of Earth-saving.
Teachers are some of the most influential people in society. You hold the power to transform young minds. You lay the foundations for tomorrow’s leaders. What you teach is what will be carried forth. Whether it’s math, history, or sustainability, if you don’t plant the seeds, the concepts will not grow. Even though living green is not a core pillar of today’s curriculum, it is an imperative concept for maintaining a healthy planet for generations to come.
Luckily, a green education can be woven into the general lessons of reading, writing, arithmetic, and all other curricular areas. The most important thing about teaching sustainability is to empower the children through action. There are already countless examples of teachers engaging children in environmental activities that inspire the students to initiate a wide variety of other actions in all areas of life – at school, at home, and in the community. Children almost instinctually understand the importance of protecting wildlife and the Earth. They have to live in the future we created, so they know they most change that future. All they need is a little direction about how they can help.