Student Voice in Creating Sustainable Societies

By Ellen BeesPatty Choma

Marilou SernadillaPeter Wohlgemut

Social and Economic Justice “Uphold the right of all, without

discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.“

Principle 12 Earth Charter

Earth CharterPrinciple 12.c

“Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.”

Premise:

Students need to have a say, not just in the decision-making, but in the information gathering and action planning to ensure engagement and longevity of change.

Student Voice Is giving students a voice in their

learning and their world

Is about including students as active participants in the planning process

Is students working collaboratively with each other towards a common goal

Why?

Why should schools encourage student voice?

What are the benefits to schools / to the students/ to the societies?

“To help the students to be stewards and not vandals of the Earth” (Harding, p. 13)

“To empower young people to participate fully in shaping the development of societies at the local and global levels” (Earth Charter in Action, Osano, p.109)

“To spread the message among their peers creating ripples of change to transform our societies” (Earth Charter in Action, Slaby, p. 113)

Students need: Belongingness Active participation To be heard To be recognized

Incorporating student voice allows students to meet these needs.

Purpose of Schools…

“The only hope for curing the ills of the world is that young people may picture a better one and strive to realize it. To frame this picture and to cultivate this ambition is the greatest duty of the school.” - William McIntyre

Jickling and Wals, Globalization and Environmental Education: Looking Beyond Sustainable Development

Why use student voice?

Me, second from the right. Photographer unknown

Case Study 1: Greening the Gator Grill

mathiasbaert, Flickr

Case Study 2: Eco-Survey

Eco-Survey – Make Golden Gate Green!

With this project, you will have the chance to make Golden Gate a greener school!

You will choose an environmental topic, and investigate Golden Gate staff and students’ attitudes, habits, and

perspectives. Using this data, you will make recommendations for next year’s leadership committee to help make our school

more eco-friendly.

This is your chance to make a positive impact and have your voice heard!

Students have the voice but…

“…fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.”Earth Charter 12.c

_ankor Flickr

Action plans

rafaelbarabosa

Flickr

hitnrunTony

willspaetzel

leoreynolds

puuikibeach

photokes

chelmsfordpubliclibrary

cote

Speak Up – Nine Steps to Taking Action

Team up Get started Create a project plan Know your goals Take action Keep track of your efforts Assess success Share your ideas Celebrate your successes

Student Voice

Take Action – A Guide to Active Citizenship

Choose an issue Do your research Build a team Call the meeting Make a plan of action Take action and then review Have fun

Make a Plan of Action What does your group hope to

accomplish? Who will be helpful, and who might stand

in your way? What’s your strategy? How will people identify your group and

remember you? What’s your timeline? How can you create buzz? What’s this going to cost?

Action Plan Format

newthoughtgeneration.com

mikayla’sway.com

ScenarioOur school is experiencing several

challenges in our cafeteria this year. You will need to choose one of the issues to tackle by creating an action plan.

Scenario 1 Students are eating from

disposable cutlery, plates and cups. These materials are single use, affordable for the cafeteria budget, and approved for use by the school board.

What do you do? walker , Flickr

Scenario 2 Bottled water is being sold by the

cafeteria at staggering rates. Recycling bins are overflowing with bottles.

Most staff do not drink the tap water, instead paying for a service to truck in large bottles of water to the staff room.

What do you do?

Shirka6, flickr

Scenario 3 Incidents of bullying are occurring at a

staggering rate during the lunch hour in the cafeteria/lunch room areas. There are reports of students being teased, physically assaulted, lunches or money being taken etc. The student council would like to take on this issue with your help.

What do you do?

yorkregionantibullying

Scenario Recap Scenario 1 – Single use, affordable

plates and cutlery being used in the cafeteria

Scenario 2 –Bottled water for staff and students

Scenario 3 – Bullying incidents have been noticed and student council wants your help to do something about it

SMART goal setting form 3 groups (one per scenario) Take Action says, choose your group

by something you are interested in Create an action plan If you are not using SMART goal

setting as your planning frame, please be prepared to share your method.

Reflection Questions: How does incorporating and overtly

valuing student voice move us towards a more sustainable future?

What context factors are important to encourage and demonstrably value student voice?

What marginalized voices within the student population may need deliberate attention in order for them to be elicited?

Reference: Corcoran, P., Viela, M. & Roerin, A. (2005). The Earth Charter in

Action: Towards a Sustainable World. KIT Publishers: Amsterdam. Earth Charter Commission. The Earth Charter. Retrieved from

http://www.EarthCharter.org Harding, T. Our Community Geoscape: Living Sustainably. Green

Teacher, 84, 13-18. Hill, S. (2010). Student Voice. Retrieved from PowerPoint Presentation. Jickling, B. & Wals, A. (2008). Globalization and environmental

education: looking beyond sustainable development. J. Curriculum Studies, 40, 1-21.

Kielburger, M. (2002). Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship. Jossey-Bass.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2011). Student Voice. Retrieved from www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/students/speakup/index.html