Innovation and Design

This activity will work best as a sequel to The Cloud Institute’s Fish Game and Debrief in which the Mental Models of Sustainability and Un‐Sustainability are introduced.

Background on the Mental Model Cards and the Activities These Mental Model cards and the activities that accompany them are designed to help people recognize that we all operate with Mental Models, and that they are simply guiding constructs that will change over time with new knowledge and applied insight. We have named and drawn images to depict the Mental Models of Un‐sustainability and those that we believe will give us a better chance of moving toward sustainability. Both come from our research and experience educating for sustainability and have been reinforced in literature ranging from eco‐psychology to sustainable economics and brain science. We are sure there are many more to codify. These are a good start.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Gandhi

Session Six looks at the ways in which Project-Based learning empowers students to become leaders in their own communities, making them feel not only connected to their peers, but also making them feel positive about the contributions they are making to society. After completing some readings on civic engagement, teachers will complete their Final Project Template, by adding methods of assessment and exploring creative ways to motivate their students.

This workshop was developed by YouthBuild USA, Inc. in partnership with EdTech Leaders Online at Education Development Center. YouthBuild USA leads a national network of 260 local YouthBuild programs in 46 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands that help youth transform their own lives while transforming their communities. YouthBuild programs address critical issues facing low-income communities – housing, education, employment, crime prevention and leadership development. EdTech Leaders Online provides capacity building, training, and online courses for school districts, state departments of education, and colleges and universities.

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." -George Bernard Shaw

In this session, teachers will learn about means for sustainable farming and healthy food growing practices. Many farming topics will be covered such as sustainable farming practices, as well as examining good farming practices’ enemies: pesticides and toxins. Teachers will work on finalizing their plans with one final look at the Food Lesson Activity Idea Generator.

This workshop was developed by EdTech Leaders Online at Education Development Center. EdTech Leaders Online provides capacity building, training, and online courses for school districts, state departments of education, and colleges and universities.

"It is not necessarily those lands which are the most fertile or most favored climate that seem to me the happiest, but those in which a long stroke of adaptation between man and his environment has brought out the best qualities of both." -T.S. Eliot

In this session, teachers will learn about the relationship between land preservation and green building practice. Many green building and land preservation topics will be covered such as site selection, lot development, green roofs, and sustainable landscaping. At this time, teachers will also read a study about High School Equivalency (HSE) success rates and will take the High School Equivalency (HSE) “topics tested” into account as they continue to plan their lessons.

This workshop was developed by YouthBuild USA, Inc. in partnership with EdTech Leaders Online at Education Development Center. YouthBuild USA leads a national network of 260 local YouthBuild programs in 46 states, Washington DC, and the Virgin Islands that help youth transform their own lives while transforming their communities. YouthBuild programs address critical issues facing low-income communities – housing, education, employment, crime prevention and leadership development. EdTech Leaders Online provides capacity building, training, and online courses for school districts, state departments of education, and colleges and universities.