Embedded Files
Each of these peices of research aided in our understanding of kids, community, and sustainability education going into this project.
Wattenmaker, K. M. (2015). Sustainable K-12 Education through Community Partnerships (Order No. 10000405). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection; ProQuest One Academic; Publicly Available Content Database. (1760164399). http://libproxy.sdsu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/sustainable-k-12-education-through-community/docview/1760164399/se-2
In this thesis dissertation by Karen M. Wattenmaker, she discusses her experiences at an elementary school with creating an educational environment that promotes future student success. She focused on creating students that could take responsibility over their own projects and schoolwork but also on involving all aspects of the community for the students (other teachers, parents, bus drivers, organizations, college students, high schoolers, etc.).
Among other things, one of these experiences especially stood out in her research. "Passion Projects" that she charged to her students had an incredible effect on their willingness to learn and take responsibility for their communities. She presented them with her own research on education and their surrounding communities and allowed them to do their own project regarding issues which they could help to face. In doing this, she seemlessly incorporated 4th grade curriculum standards with advocation and social responsibility in young students. She saw students that had been disinterested and apprehensive towards writing peer edit and create argumentative letters for their project and noted an obvious difference in the student's involvement in not only their education but their communities.
This paper demonstrates not only the importance of creating educational experiences that take students out of the classroom and prioritizes their own jounreys, but that students are more than capable of making a real, focused effort to help their community.
Beal, J. (2024, September 24). What Are Third Places and Why Do They Matter? Albert Shanker Institute. https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/what-are-third-places-and-why-do-they-matter
In this article, Jordan Beal discusses her personal experiences with third spaces throughout her childhood and their connection to creating the person she is today.
Throughout the article Beal cites various sources all correlating the importance of these low-stakes, openly social and collaborative areas of life for younger kids. Often, these are moreso accessible to students in higher socio-economic environments with parents that have the time to take them to extracurricular events and the money to pay for them. Aditionally, in a digital age where students are more and more online, having real face-to-face connections at a young age are helping students with social skills and have over 6% increasing rates of attending college for students that attend third spaces regularly.
In the end, structured and intential time spent with students in environments that are purely social, without the pressure of suceeding or performing a certain way, are critical for student success and positive behavior. In incorporating students in communities, we are able to get them one step closer to a sense of something bigger than themselves, teaching them diversity and social responsibility.
Elwell, T. L., Nahuelhual, L., Silva Fernández, M., Bianchini, J. A., & Gaines, S. D. (2025). Enhancing the potential of children’s agency to achieve global sustainability. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02134-8
A collection of Universities and students worked together to explore the importance of children's agency as stewards of sustainability. The authors of this journal argue that involving children and adolesence in furthering sustainable development goals is critical to moving towards global sustainability.
They make importance of noting the barriers youth around the world may have and the differences in each of their positions regarding the socio-economic and regional differences in youth throughout the world and. how this affects their ability to focus on sustainability and advocacy.
They have created 5 fluid stages that aim to develop students ability to enhance childrens stewardship. These are: children accessing time and space in the natural world, learn and create knowledge through first hand experience, participate as present day actors for change, act collectively as biosphere stewards, and transform our ability to achieve global sustainability.
These steps mirror ways in which our project also aimed to enhanced students agency in their own communities and relative sustainability. It explores the importance of children's education in becoming stewards of the environment and the affect that may have on global sustainability efforts.
Slovenia strides forward to advance sustainable development in education. (2024). Unesco.org. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/slovenia-strides-forward-advance-sustainable-development-education
The University of Ljubljana in Slovenia has championed for a UNESCO Chair on Teacher Education for Sustainable Development, a chair that will be devoted to the development of teacher's and equipping them with the skills to integrate complex topics such as sustainability technology integration for future generations. They argue that teachers must be the best equipped to integrate these topics to best prepare students to beceme future leaders for sustainable solutions.
Slovenia as a country has integrated recycling and sustainability education in their early education and has put many efforts towards providing equal education throughout the entire country, resulting in a young generation full of people with a strong sense of responsibility over waster management and sustainability.
Bertelsmann Stiftung. (2024). SGI 2024 | Slovenia | Social Sustainability. Sgi-Network.org.
https://www.sgi-network.org/2024/Slovenia/Social_Sustainability
This source serves as a measure of the success of Slovenia's efforts in sustainability, especially in education and its effects on their population.
These statistics cover things from sustainable education system to sustainable inclusion of migrants and ranks their programs, spending, and quality of resources for each fo these subjects.
Slovenia is considered a success amond recycling reform, sustainable education, and green reform, especially in the EU.
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