Integrating Sustainabilty into Your Curriculum? Yes You Can!
-by Andrea Webster, Publications & Education Coordinator & Editor of the AASHE Bulletin
Thanks to an assignment from an Ithaca College course and to the efforts of an Ithaca College senior, the town of Ithaca, New York now has a community garden. The course, Service Learning II: Administration," required that students complete 120 hours dedicated to a management field work assignment chosen by the student. This is a great example of how campuses and towns can work together to green the surrounding community. Well done Ithaca!
One of the major goals of the campus sustainability movement is to integrate sustainability into the curriculum, but a lot of professors do not know how and/or do not believe their their topic of study can relate to sustainability. I'm certainly not an expert on integrating sustainability into your curriculum, but if you want to know how, AASHE offers several resources to help guide you:
1. The Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop (a semi-annual workshop on teaching yourself and others to teach sustainability - no matter what field you're in)
2. A new publication by the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, Education for Climate Neutrality and Sustainability: Guidance for ACUPCC Institutions. Even if you are not teaching, learning, or working at an ACUPCC signatory institution, I'm guessing that you'll still find this document useful.
3. AASHE Resource on "Courses on Campus Sustainability." - this is a list of courses that focus specifically on campus sustainability.
4. A list of syllabi - AASHE members only resource (not a member? join now!)
5. A list of curriculum-related papers and presentations given at AASHE 2008 (our bi-annual conference)
6. AASHE Blog posts on curriculum
Enjoy!
