Search Results

Educational Trends

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter discusses five trends related to urban environmental education: City as Classroom, Problem Solving, Environmental Stewardship, Individual and Community Development, and City as ... More

This chapter discusses five trends related to urban environmental education: City as Classroom, Problem Solving, Environmental Stewardship, Individual and Community Development, and City as Social-Ecological System. City as Classroom aims to facilitate learning about urban and other environments, ecology, science, geography, history, and other subjects using urban outdoor and indoor settings. Problem Solving aims to solve or mitigate environmental problems and related social problems. The goal of Environmental Stewardship is to foster community-based management of urban ecosystems, involve community members in decision making and action to improve urban natural resources. Individual and Community Development seeks to promote positive youth development and social capital. City as Social-Ecological System aims to develop an understanding of cities as social-ecological systems, and reimagine how to manage cities to achieve desired environmental and social outcomes. The chapter shows that urban environmental education contributes to urban sustainability by addressing social and environmental issues.Less

Introduction

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny

Alex Russ, Marianne E. Krasny, Alex Russ, and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This book explains how urban environmental education can promote urban sustainability, and more specifically how environmental educators can achieve educational, youth and community development as ... More

This book explains how urban environmental education can promote urban sustainability, and more specifically how environmental educators can achieve educational, youth and community development as well as environmental quality goals in cities. Building on research and practice, it outlines novel approaches to educating about the urban environment and to participatory urban planning, stewardship, and governance. The book features contributions from an international community of eighty-two scholars from environmental education and related fields who share their insights about a variety of topics ranging from urbanization and the characteristics of sustainable cities to environmental justice, sense of place, climate change education, intergenerational education, inclusive education, and educator professional development. The book also explores methods and tools used in urban environmental education such as cities as classrooms, environmental arts, adventure education, urban agriculture, ecological restoration, green infrastructure, urban digital storytelling, and participatory urban planning.Less

Afterword

Nicole M. Ardoin, Alan Reid, Heila Lotz-Sisitka, and Édgar J. González Gaudian

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This book has discussed academic debates and practices in urban environmental education. It has highlighted challenges and opportunities facing the field of environmental education in general and ... More

This book has discussed academic debates and practices in urban environmental education. It has highlighted challenges and opportunities facing the field of environmental education in general and educators working in urban areas in particular. It has examined how the unique features of cities—as places facing major environmental and justice issues yet also as hubs of innovation—influence environmental education goals and implementation. Urban planning, social justice, climate change, and social-ecological systems resilience are areas environmental education has addressed in the past, but which are becoming increasingly salient for environmental education in cities. This afterword urges environmental educators to: First, challenge the urban/rural binary by recognizing and critiquing processes such as urban decay, suburban sprawl, migration, and gentrification. Second, spend time in the field—or, more accurately, in the streets— in order to understand urban settings in a deeper, more embodied way.Less

Educator Professional Development

Rebecca L. Franzen, Cynthia Thomashow, Mary Leou, and Nonyameko Zintle Songqwaru

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter describes a conceptual framework for professional development in urban environmental education. Urban environmental education includes the use of urban environments as a learning context ... More

This chapter describes a conceptual framework for professional development in urban environmental education. Urban environmental education includes the use of urban environments as a learning context that leads to collective action—that is, working with stakeholders within a community to establish a common agenda, learn about the forces that impact environmental conditions, and find venues to influence change from within the community. Learning about local resources through active participation and immersion in field experiences may help educators, as well as youths, see connections within their communities. The chapter outlines professional development strategies for environmental educators working with urban audiences and in urban settings, in both schools and nonformal programs. Six elements of a professional development model for urban environmental education are discussed: interdisciplinary and integrated content, context, pedagogy, resources, field experiences, and professional learning communities.Less

Environmental Governance

Marianne E. Krasny, Erika S. Svendsen, Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch, Johan Enqvist, and Alex Russ

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter explores the relationship between environmental governance and urban environmental education. It first provides an overview of environmental governance and governance networks before ... More

This chapter explores the relationship between environmental governance and urban environmental education. It first provides an overview of environmental governance and governance networks before discussing research on the prevalence of organizations conducting environmental education in governance networks in Asian, European, and U.S. cities. It then offers suggestions on how environmental education organizations can be effective contributors in urban environmental governance and explains how the role of environmental education in governance can be made transparent to educators and participants. It argues that environmental education organizations are actors in urban governance networks and can play an important role in environmental governance. It also asserts that an explicit focus on governance will enable organizational leaders to target their partnerships and efforts to have a greater impact on urban sustainability and will enable youths and other participants to gain an understanding of critical concepts in environmental management and policy.Less

Four Asian Tigers

Geok Chin Ivy Tan, John Chi-Kin Lee, Tzuchau Chang, and Chankook Kim

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter describes innovative approaches, both within schools and across multiple sectors, to urban environmental education in the highly urbanized environments of Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, ... More

This chapter describes innovative approaches, both within schools and across multiple sectors, to urban environmental education in the highly urbanized environments of Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul. Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea—the so-called “Four Asian Tigers”—pursued aggressive industrialization to boost economic growth, resulting in rapid urbanization. Today their cities are faced with acute urban problems. As each of these highly urbanized cities faces the complex challenges that come with development, they turned to urban environmental education to foster environmental awareness and environmentally responsible behaviors. The chapter examines the strategies adopted by Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Seoul, such as integrating environmental education into the school curriculum, inquiry-based field trips, technology, partnerships, and urban environmental centers.Less

Nonformal Educational Settings

Joe E. Heimlich, Jennifer D. Adams, and Marc J. Stern

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines the pedagogy of nonformal environmental education for urban audiences, focusing on different types of urban nonformal educational opportunities and situating them in the lives ... More

This chapter examines the pedagogy of nonformal environmental education for urban audiences, focusing on different types of urban nonformal educational opportunities and situating them in the lives of urbanites using the concept of “learningscapes.” Urban nonformal environmental education involves relating environmental content to the everyday lives of urban learners, ensuring learner autonomy, and integrating the institutions of environmental education providers within the broader array of social institutions in the urban environment. Nonformal urban environmental education programs according to participant choice and goals and provider goals include school field trips or related programs, casual visit to a community institution (for example, nature center), and recreational programs. The chapter suggests that urban environmental education providers have unique opportunities for connecting beyond traditional audiences due to the dense and diverse networks of programs within urban environments, from youth sports leagues to literacy clubs and neighborhood watches.Less

Inclusive Education

Olivia M. Aguilar, Elizabeth P. McCann, and Kendra Liddicoat

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter explores the dynamics of exclusion and marginalization in environmental education, the opportunities for inclusivity and accessibility in the urban context, and a reflective process ... More

This chapter explores the dynamics of exclusion and marginalization in environmental education, the opportunities for inclusivity and accessibility in the urban context, and a reflective process necessary for equitable and just environmental education. It considers how urban environmental education can address issues of inclusivity and access and shows that recognizing the complexity of cultural diversity and the systemic nature of power and privilege serves as the foundation for cultural competency in urban environmental education. It also explains the importance of inclusivity in terms of dealing with issues of equity and allowing sharing of multiple perspectives, which can lead to innovation in addressing sustainability issues. The chapter also looks at three cases that illustrate how some urban environmental education programs are incorporating inclusive practices: an urban water-quality monitoring program in Austin, Texas; an urban nature center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and studies of neighborhoods in Cuba, Spain, and the United States.Less

Cities as Opportunities

Daniel Fonseca de Andrade, Soul Shava, and Sanskriti Menon

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter discusses the notion of “cities as opportunities,” drawing on urban experiences lived in the broader geopolitical context of the Global South. It shows that different countries and ... More

This chapter discusses the notion of “cities as opportunities,” drawing on urban experiences lived in the broader geopolitical context of the Global South. It shows that different countries and cities present different conditions and opportunities to address multidimensional social and environmental problems. In the Global South, cities integrate into environmental narratives aspects of their colonial histories and decolonizing viewpoints, which are reflected in educational practices. Environmental education in these cities reflects the ways that people construct perspectives and narratives to frame and address social and environmental issues, while also providing models for other countries seeking to simultaneously address environmental and social justice. The chapter looks at examples of urban environmental education from three countries: South Africa, Brazil, and India. It demonstrates how the intensity of colonial legacies and environmental problems in cities in the Global South makes them “cities as opportunities” for environmental education and urban sustainability.Less

Community Assets

Marianne E. Krasny, Simon Beames, and Shorna B. Allred

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines how urban environmental education can strengthen communities and enhance environmental quality in cities by focusing on three community assets—social capital, sense of ... More

This chapter examines how urban environmental education can strengthen communities and enhance environmental quality in cities by focusing on three community assets—social capital, sense of community, and collective efficacy—that have been used to understand why some communities fare better than others and why people sometimes act not in their narrow self-interest, but for the common good. In order to better understand pathways toward urban sustainability that highlight collective action rather than changing individual behaviors, the chapter connects social capital, sense of community, and collective efficacy to urban environmental education. It shows that all three community assets are desirable outcomes for urban environmental education because they contribute to a community's well-being and its ability to act collectively for the common good. The chapter concludes by explaining how to build these community assets.Less

Adult Education

Philip Silva and Shelby Gull Laird

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines opportunities for developing urban environmental education experiences for adults. It first considers the core ideas of three influential adult education scholars—Paulo Freire, ... More

This chapter examines opportunities for developing urban environmental education experiences for adults. It first considers the core ideas of three influential adult education scholars—Paulo Freire, Malcolm Knowles, and Jane Vella—before describing two cases of adult environmental education in cities, one in New York City and one in London. It then reviews theory and practice through the binary categories of “emancipatory” versus “instrumental” environmental education, both of which have conceptual roots in the work of Freire, Knowles, and Vella, among others. It also explains how, through the use of andragogic methods such as relationship building, engagement in action, and a focus on the needs of the learner, adult urban environmental education initiatives can help promote environmental literacy and action.Less

Adventure Education

Denise Mitten, Lewis Ting On Cheung, Wanglin Yan, and Robert Withrow-Clark

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines the benefits of adventure education and of pairing adventure and environmental education in urban environments. By participating in outdoor activities, people learn about their ... More

This chapter examines the benefits of adventure education and of pairing adventure and environmental education in urban environments. By participating in outdoor activities, people learn about their surroundings and places they might not otherwise visit. These group experiences enhance social ties and may promote pro-environmental behaviors, which contribute to ecosystem health and human well-being as well as urban sustainability. Benefits of adventure education include positive relationships with self, other people, places, and the natural world. After explaining what adventure education is, the chapter considers adventure education in urban areas such as metropolitan Hong Kong, Minneapolis (Minnesota), and Japan. It shows that adventure education can be used by educators as a catalyst for urban environmental education.Less

Environmental Justice

Marcia McKenzie, Jada Renee Koushik, Randolph Haluza-DeLay, Belinda Chin, and Jason Corwin

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter discusses the importance of environmental justice and issues of equity within urban environmental education. Urban environmental education engages with environmental justice through ... More

This chapter discusses the importance of environmental justice and issues of equity within urban environmental education. Urban environmental education engages with environmental justice through topics such as disparities in access to nature and ecosystem services and in exposure to industrial pollution and other environmental risks. There are many approaches to addressing injustice, including food sovereignty, political mobilization, and climate justice. The chapter first provides a brief history of the environmental justice movement before presenting three case studies illustrating educational responses to environmental injustice in cities: Green Guerrillas Youth Media Tech Collective and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice in New York City, and the Equity and Environment Initiative in Seattle, Washington. These initiatives demonstrate the ways in which race, colonization, poverty, and other social issues overlap with access, understandings, benefits, and related considerations of urban place, as well as how urban environmental education is addressing these intersections.Less

Advancing Urbanization

David Maddox, Harini Nagendra, Thomas Elmqvist, and Alex Russ

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter explains the importance of telling the story of “advancing urbanization”—both the global acceleration of urbanization and the promise offered by urbanization—for urban environmental ... More

This chapter explains the importance of telling the story of “advancing urbanization”—both the global acceleration of urbanization and the promise offered by urbanization—for urban environmental education. It argues that cities—their design and how we live in them—will be key in our struggle for sustainability, indeed our future. As cities grow, as they are newly created, and as more and more people choose or require them as places to live, our decisions about urban design and city building will determine the outcomes of long-term challenges related to resilience, sustainability, livability, and justice. Rather than being the essential cause of the global environmental dangers we face, cities will be key to success in overcoming these dangers. The chapter examines the role of environmental education in fostering public engagement through clarifying and transmitting the challenges, values, actions, and methods for achieving sustainable, resilient, livable, and just cities.Less

Positive Youth Development

Tania M. Schusler, Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte, and Amy Cutter-Mackenzie

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines the relationship between urban environmental education and positive youth development. It first defines positive youth development and applies it to environmental education ... More

This chapter examines the relationship between urban environmental education and positive youth development. It first defines positive youth development and applies it to environmental education before discussing three programs from Australia and the United States that illustrate different pedagogies for integrating positive youth development in environmental education aimed at fostering urban sustainability. The first program involves young people in participatory action research through a child-framed approach, the second develops young people's leadership capacities as peer educators, and the third facilitates youth civic engagement through local environmental action. The chapter shows that participatory action research, peer education, and youth civic engagement can lead to positive change for both urban environments and youths living within them.Less

Urban Agriculture

Illène Pevec, Soul Shava, John Nzira, and Michael Barnett

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter considers school gardens in North America and urban agriculture in South Africa as sites for urban environmental education. Urban agriculture encompasses rooftop and community gardens, ... More

This chapter considers school gardens in North America and urban agriculture in South Africa as sites for urban environmental education. Urban agriculture encompasses rooftop and community gardens, greenhouses, hydroponic systems, plant nurseries, small livestock husbandry, and vertical farms, located indoors, on vacant lots, on roofs, and on postindustrial landscapes, among other sites. Urban environmental education taking place in urban agriculture sites can integrate intergenerational and multicultural learning and contribute to environmental and science knowledge, positive youth development, job skills, and improved diets. It can also enhance social capital, environmental quality, and economic development. The chapter looks at examples of recent policies and practices strengthening urban agriculture and environmental education.Less

Green Infrastructure

Laura B. Cole, Timon McPhearson, Cecilia P. Herzog, and Alex Russ

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines opportunities for using green infrastructure in classroom and after-school activities and strengthening student contact with and attachment to their local environment. Education ... More

This chapter examines opportunities for using green infrastructure in classroom and after-school activities and strengthening student contact with and attachment to their local environment. Education about green infrastructure refers to the learning opportunities provided by infrastructure projects in cities, where ecosystem services are intertwined with human development and can teach fundamental lessons about systems thinking, sustainability, and resilience. In addition, education for green infrastructure emphasizes the need for increased public education regarding the benefits of green infrastructure, which could increase public support, management, and stewardship of present and future green infrastructure projects. The chapter considers the ways that urban environmental education in, about, and for green infrastructure can improve human–nature connections in the city.Less

Participatory Urban Planning

Andrew Rudd, Karen Malone, and M’Lis Bartlett

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter examines how integrated, participatory design and urban environmental education can enhance learning, ownership, agency, and long-term sustainability of place. Drawing on recent efforts ... More

This chapter examines how integrated, participatory design and urban environmental education can enhance learning, ownership, agency, and long-term sustainability of place. Drawing on recent efforts to articulate a global urban sustainability agenda, it considers the ways that urban environmental education can help integrate the participation of underrepresented groups—such as children, youth, and low-income and minority residents—in urban planning while also improving urban planning outcomes. The chapter presents a case study that illustrates outcomes of engaging young people in urban planning: the Child Friendly Bolivia project in La Paz, Bolivia. It shows that engaging youth and underrepresented groups in urban planning offers a unique opportunity to address concerns about equity and to engage multiple innovative perspectives. It suggests that the tools of participatory urban planning and environmental education may help create more sustainable cities for all.Less

Sense of Place

Jennifer D. Adams, David A. Greenwood, Mitchell Thomashow, and Alex Russ

Alex Russ and Marianne E. Krasny (eds)

in Urban Environmental Education Review

This chapter considers the concept of sense of place, focusing on how urban environmental education can help residents to strengthen their attachment to urban communities or entire cities and to view ... More

This chapter considers the concept of sense of place, focusing on how urban environmental education can help residents to strengthen their attachment to urban communities or entire cities and to view urban places as ecologically valuable. Sense of place—the way we perceive places such as streets, communities, cities, or ecoregions—influences our well-being, how we describe and interact with a place, what we value in a place, our respect for ecosystems and other species, how we perceive the affordances of a place, our desire to build more sustainable and just urban communities, and how we choose to improve cities. Our sense of place also reflects our historical and experiential knowledge of a place and helps us imagine its more sustainable future. The chapter offers examples of activities to help readers construct field explorations that evoke, leverage, or influence sense of place, including social construction of place meanings and developing an ecological identity.Less