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After performing both workshops and working with around 70 kids in the Cajon Valley School District, these are our conclusions.
Observations:
Flying Hills School of the Arts 4/5th Grade class
This class was of about 26 kids, almost exactly half boys and girls and we got a good distribution of replies from both. Some of the replies that stood out included describing sustainability as "stable" (which was the only answer we intially recieved) and connecting sports as a community immediately as well. In general, we recieved a lot of collaboration and answers from the class when exploring community as a concept and its presence in their lives, but less so with sustainability.
After watching a video and understanding the activity, the kids began to connect sustainability to the environment. Many mentioned biking, hiking, and playing sports outside as ways to be a part of your community in a sustainable way.
Their design elements got creative as well. Some students took it upon themselves to create their own environmental elements: waterfall, sunset, hills, etc. It was also a great reprsentation of their diversity in thinking and identity. This can be seen through the differences in how something simple like a tree can be colored in or in the diversity of personal characters. Note also the busses are all generally colored in like the San Diego MTS busses in red.
A word art representation of the words students shared when prompted about what they think sustainability and community means to them.
Observations:
Avocado Elementary
This project merged 3 different second grade classes where we presented in a large group in their auditorium. We then split off and had them create their own communities. Kids were very involved in the presentation and shared out a lot.
Their responses were a little bit more developed when it came to sustainability than the first cohort and integrated protecting the environment into their community by thinking about providing housing but also "leaving space for the animals" as well as integrating gardens in their homes and embracing their school as a community.
Each class present was able to create their own poster with our help and designed and colored in their own elements. Because the groups were smaller than the first cohorts, the pages were a little emptier but still represented each student's unique perspective and identity on each of the maps.
This group also participated in an activity for sorting trash, which they did well in but did not identify styrofoam as something non-recyclable.
Some students had their own personal communities rather than creating a bigger picture, which allowed each to flesh out their own image more and then compare afterwards with that of their classmates.
Conclusions:
Kids educations vary a lot from school to school on things regarding sustainability, community, and responsibility. Some kids couldn't place or define sustainability at all whereas others connected it well to community.
Recycling responsibilites are also important to teach to youth to instil a large sense of responsibility for the world around us. Understanding kids places in that future and their present communities can be instrumental in climate action. Furthering educational programs like this has proved to be very engaging for kids of all ages in early and late elementary school and incorporating their own activity let them have independence over their own creations.
Education on not only the SDGs but all sorts of sustainability ideas in early youth is essential to adressing the SDGs and global climate change and has been proven to work in other countries that implement educational programs for youth. Kids are more than able to understand this concept at least as young as 6 years old and will be the change in their homes and communities.
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