Sustainability Education Forum

Earth Care International

Sustainability Education Forum

Earth Care International's first Sustainability Education Forum -Recognizing and Connecting Our Resources - attracted over 100 community members on a beautiful Santa Fe evening at the Clear Light Bookstore. Community participants included teachers, principals, parents, students, community organizations and businesses, Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez, members of the Sustainable Santa Fe Commission, and Mayor Coss.





The evening began with an invigorating discussion facilitated by Earth Care International's Executive Director, Christina Selby, on the role of education and its relationship to sustainable community development. Many community members suggested that the role of education is not merely to prepare the youth of today for the jobs of tomorrow, but should engage and empower youth in the process of building a more vibrant and sustainable community.


Community members were then asked to shortly speak about projects ideas that could either be implemented in schools or in the larger community. Paula Iveland, an English teacher at Capital High and participant in Earth Care's Teacher Institute for Sustainability Education, spoke briefly about a current project called Capital Green Project (CGP). CGP is an interdisciplinary project that has swept across Capital's campus. Laetitia "Mimi" Narvaez, a teacher at Salazar Elementary and participant in Earth Care's Teacher Institute for Sustainability Education, spoke about Salazar Green, a project designed to create a environmentally friendly track and field, outdoor classroom spaces, and small classroom garden plots. Karen Sneiders, Principal at Alvord Elementary School, spoke about Alvord becoming Santa Fe's first magnet school with the theme of sustainability.


Sevaral groups were then formed using the project ideas as the central theme. These small groups, facilitated by Earth Care Staff, were asked to delve deeper into the motivation for the project - connecting the creating of outdoor spaces and garden plots to the deeper motivations of shifting the youth's relationship to the environment and cultural revitalization through the practice and study of traditional agriculture. Other groups delved into the motivations of creating efficient and effective recycling and waste management processes.

To learn more about each small groups work - click here!

SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL
SENIOR HONORS PROJECT
Friday, April 24, 2009, 8:30 A.M.-3:00 P.M.
SFIS CAMPUS
Opening session, 8:30 a.m., Abeyta Gym

WHAT IS THE SHP?
Now in its sixth year, the SFIS Senior Honors Project is an interdisciplinary project designed to address state and school standards and to promote critical thinking across the curriculum. The project, now a graduation requirement, prepares students for higher level research and writing projects by requiring them to complete in-depth analysis and synthesis of a variety of sources, including scholarly articles, websites, surveys, personal interviews, and reference materials.

SHP community panels bring together community members and students to discuss research topics and share resources.In the course of this unit, students explore issues of personal and cultural identity and examine past, present, and future challenges to Native communities posed by such forces as colonialism and the global economy. Students engage in the critical study of indigenous cultures around the world, always with the goal of seeing how Native American experiences fit into a global and historical context.

THE SENIOR HONORS SYMPOSIUM
The culminating project of the SHP unit is a symposium, held in late spring, at which student groups present research findings and recommendations on their topic. Parents, community members, tribal officials, school board members, students, and the entire SFIS community are invited to this event.
In 2005, 87% of students who completed the SHP said that it helped them make a connection between what they learn in school and what their communities need.
2008-2009 SHP TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:
· Native language preservation
· Renewable Energy and Native American
· Economic Development Strategies for Tribes
· Wildlife Management and Habitat Protection
· Federal Environmental Policies
· Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Native veterans
· Indian Boarding Schools: The Rise of Self-Determination
· The Role of Technology in Native American Lives
· Native Americans and Voting

MEETING THE ACADEMIC AND CIVIC CHALLENGES:
Dress rehearsals with SFIS staff mentors challenge students to deliver professional presentations with confidence.To meet the state and school requirements for graduation and assure a comprehensive and rewarding experience, students conclude their SHP activities by writing a research paper that details their findings, explores the implications of their research for their communities, and reflects on the impact the project has had on their own lives as students and future community leaders. The 2008-2009 SHP also introduces a Community Action Project, an opportunity for students to apply to their learning outside the classroom.

What are the goals of the SHP?
1. Through their readings, writings, and research, students will develop the critical thinking and information literacy skills needed for graduation and for active participation in their communities and the world.
2. By self-selecting their topics and monitoring their own research, students will develop a sense of ownership and confidence in their ability to find, record, transform, analyze, and use information to solve real problems.
3. By including in their research a study of the challenges faced by other indigenous groups throughout history and around the globe, students will broaden their understanding of the world and learn to put Native American experiences into a broader perspective.
4. Students will develop an understanding of the variety of resources available to help them and their communities respond to the challenges that lie ahead.
5. Students will practice designing project proposals, surveys, and interview questions, and PowerPoint presentations of outstanding quality and professionalism.