NewsLetters

The environmental movement is much older than the 1970s, but it was then that the concept of caring for the environment became more mainstream and, with this change, new words were becoming part of everyday vocabulary, words such as ecology, biodiversity, organic, and sustainability (although many were actually old words). But, even after many decades, some adults might have trouble defining them. For example, what is sustainability? 

Eighth grader Amanda Supan offers a simple and clear definition: “Sustainability is about meeting our own needs and using resources responsibly so we don’t make it hard for future generations.” Amanda, like all other students at Montpelier’s Main Street Middle School, has been part of the new sustainability curriculum (officially MSMS_Sustain) for one quarter of every school year. The course has been pioneered by MSMS teacher Don Taylor along with teaching assistant Drew McNaughton. 

Taylor, who notes that he “hates waste” has designed a project-based curriculum. Students are encouraged to come up with activities that will foster sustainability. The ever-growing lost-and-found pile at MSMS, for example, led to the creation of the Lost and Found Project.