Sustainable Schools at Work: Georgia Middle School Wraps Year-Long Sustainability Project

June 2nd was a drizzly, humid day in Georgia, Vermont, but nothing could put a damper on the enthusiasm of the students who cleaned up the banks of a stream behind Georgia Elementary and Middle School. Working together, kindergarteners and middle schoolers collected debris, laid stone pavers to improve footing, and planted flowers. The idea was sparked by students. “The kindergarteners love spending time down here,” explained seventh grader Anna. “We wanted to make it safer.”

The stream cleanup was part of a day of service that was just one of the outcomes of a year-long, schoolwide sustainable development initiative in Georgia. The Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools, and our partners at UP for Learning, supported Georgia’s educators, staff, and students with layered programming and resources throughout the year.

The program is based in an approach called Education for Sustainability, which roots learning in the local community, fosters an understanding of interconnectedness, and engages students in making a meaningful difference. It’s the type of education that we believe has the power to make real change for a more sustainable and just world.

“Students and adults worked as equals”

Georgia selected eight middle schoolers to serve as program leaders. These students – together with educators Eric Hadd, Jen Hardy, and Karen Lehning – joined the Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability program for virtual discussions throughout the year. Cultivating Pathways connects youth-adult teams around the globe who are working to advance sustainability, and provides coaching from educators at Shelburne Farms and UP for Learning. 

“Students and teachers talked about the reasons why they wanted to do this work, and students said they wanted to inspire others and create change. The commitment from the students to learning and being part of a community, they took it really seriously,” says director of professional learning Jen Cirillo, who provided support for teachers and co-facilitated experiences for students. Georgia’s dedicated team came together to conceptualize, plan, and implement the schoolwide day of service, inviting students from other grades to join them in cleaning up the riverbank and reestablishing a school garden. “We hope that more kids take the opportunity to learn outside by the stream,” says student Anna. “With the garden, we hope that school lunches are healthier and fresher. We also want to see that food scraps go into composting in the garden.” 

The impacts of the program go far deeper, too. “I’m proud that you all were open to having challenging conversations and saying what you wanted to be improved,” GEMS Director of Teaching and Learning Karen Lehning told the team. “The fact that you really want to make your school better, you’ve shown me how important it is to listen to students and use that to make a difference.” And the impact doesn’t stop this year. The hope, adds Karen, is for this day of service to become an annual tradition, “so that students are empowered to give back.”

“Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability gave my students an opportunity to lead, and that was probably the most meaningful impact,” said Eric, who is the Technology Integrationist at GEMS. As one student explained, “At the beginning, we were scared to take charge. But we felt more comfortable as time went on. It was cool how students and adults worked as equals. We respected each other as equals.” 

Students having a sense of ownership in shaping their learning is a key goal of the program, explains Jen. “Cultivating Pathways takes the feeling most students have – that they’re just being informed – and moves toward shared youth-adult decision-making, and shared leadership, which, from what students tell us, is rare.”

Ripples of change

In addition to joining Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability, Georgia worked with Shelburne Farms on a schoolwide integration of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. ​​Things kicked off in September with all Georgia students learning about the Sustainable Development Goals, which provided a framework to take local action for global impact. “Bringing in this lens of sustainability helps students see it’s all interconnected,” says Jen.

Next came research and student-led interviews with local businesses and area leaders – including the solar company SunCommon, the Peace and Justice Center, and Lake Champlain Sea Grant – to better understand how the community is addressing challenges including renewable energy, food insecurity, water quality, and livable wages. The program culminated in forward-looking plans for action: Each student created a plan to make a meaningful impact in their school, town, region, or state, which they presented in a sustainability fair.  

“By the end-of-year sustainability fair, you could see youth, teachers, and community partners working together on issues. That was exciting for me,” says Jen. Building relationships – with your place and between youth and adults – is a key part of the Education for Sustainability framework. Eric Hadd says, “This was a large undertaking that involved every student and teacher in the school. I saw so many changes take place in the school community because of this work.”

The GEMS end of year sustainability fair featured more than 25 action plans, projects that students developed to someday make a difference in their school, town, and state on sustainability-related issues including water pollution, domestic violence, and food insecurity. Eric says students took the lead in designing projects. “Teachers often played more of a supporting role. And, nearly all of the projects had an impact outside the school.”

The program is an example of how Education for Sustainability can nurture the development of students as community members and support collaborative learning. Said one student who helped to organize the day of service, “I’m proud of how we worked together, and how far we got in our project in such a short time.”

“This experience has shown me that project-based learning can reach new levels in terms of authenticity and impact on the community and beyond,” adds Eric. “I feel schools should undertake more such projects, build community partnerships, and develop youth leaders and positive changemakers. This was a challenging school year in many ways. Authentic, powerful learning experiences like this can happen even in challenging times.”

Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability is a partnership project of Shelburne Farms and UP for Learning. 

Join us! We’re now accepting applications for 2022-23 Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability.