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ABSTRACT
Children today are spending less time than ever outdoors, contributing to a culture of environmental apathy and separation from the natural world. In the growing field of environmental education, teachers are challenged to introduce the outdoors into their curriculum. In Vermont, some public school teachers have successfully implemented environmental education into their practice in a variety of interesting ways. This paper analyzes a series of teacher interviews and observations in Vermont public schools to identify successful strategies and pedagogies being utilized for environmental education. Several common themes emerged from this study, including place-based education, hands-on exploration, and free choice learning.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Saint Michael’s College for providing the funding for this project. They would also like to thank Shelburne Farms for allowing observations of their programs and the participating teachers in Vermont who contributed interviews.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. In the United States K–5 is an elementary school, kindergarten through fifth grade (5–11 years of age). In other countries this would be known as a primary school.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Silverman is the chair of the Education Department at Saint Michael’s College. His areas of interest and expertise include aesthetic education, interdisciplinary learning and place-based learning.
Nicole Corneau
Nicole Corneau is an undergraduate student at Saint Michael’s College studying Environmental Studies and Elementary Education.