As climate change continues to pose a significant challenge to our world today, business leaders are facing mounting pressure from investors, governments and consumers to embrace sustainability practices.

With the spotlight on corporate sustainability, the transformative power of sustainability-focused education at an early stage, particularly within schools, is often overlooked.

This is a topic that warrants greater attention from not only educators, but governments, parents and students themselves.

From kindergarteners to senior students, reimagining the approach to education involves crafting tailored strategies that combine innovative sustainability approaches with appropriate assessment methodologies.

By integrating sustainability concepts, students can embark on a journey of learning, growth, and knowledge retention at a pace conducive to their developmental stage.

Ultimately, the goal should be to empower young minds to create long-lasting, sustainable change for a better future.

With this in mind, how can we re-calibrate the way we educate?

A HOLISTIC SHIFT

Schools have begun to adopt a more holistic shift in their educational models, integrating subjects such as Entrepreneurship and Environmental Sustainability into their curriculum to equip students with the tools to tackle real-world problems.

At the same time, it has become more important than ever to complement such competencies with training on ethical responsibilities, to cultivate a generation of individuals capable of making morally sound decisions.

What we need is a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to learning — a framework of holistic education that spans academic knowledge as well as practical skills, emotional intelligence, and a profound connection to the natural world.

One such approach is regenerative education, which encourages students to develop fluency across multiple domains, skills, and traits — compared to traditional education, which often compartmentalises subjects.   

Such a model promotes experiential learning by enabling students to explore the natural world, understand complex systems, and actively participate in their communities.

In today’s state of play, for students to positively contribute to society, they must also understand the concepts of honesty, integrity, empathy, and fairness.

A greater educational emphasis on ethics encourages critical thinking about complex issues including sustainability and social justice, teaching learners to develop their own ethical frameworks and make informed, responsible choices.

We can thus nurture a generation of ethically conscious individuals who are dedicated to making a positive difference to both people and the planet.

In this aspect, schools still have a long way to go. We need to challenge students to be engaged in moral dilemmas in their day-to-day learning experiences.

By posing real-world environmental problems and getting students to assume full ownership of driving true change, we can foster a stronger sense of self-reflection and ethical checks in young people from an early age.

MERGING DYNAMIC LEARNING SPACES WITH REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS

Often referred to as the ‘third teacher’, the physical environment plays a fundamental role in shaping a student's learning experiences and development.

From sustainability-focused infrastructure to building maintenance, school environments provide opportunities to challenge students to apply their knowledge in different contexts.

Regenerative education can be most effectively explored in such interactive environments, such as Education in Motion’s The Greenhouse at Dulwich College (Singapore).

Dynamic learning spaces facilitate hands-on, collaborative learning and provide scenarios for practical, real-world applications. Technology enables innovative exploration of ecological concepts, while outdoor areas and nature-inspired environments extend the learning experience.

At The Greenhouse, for instance, kinetic floor tiles play a simple but critical role through gamification.

When students step on these tiles, the amount of kinetic energy they create is reflected on a media wall.

The immediate reflection of the weight their actions have not only reminds them of their contributions towards a sustainable future, but also encourages them to make a more meaningful impact.

Meanwhile, the teaching and cooking kitchen uses hydroponics to grow vegetables and herbs, and students are encouraged to experiment with creating plant-based meals.           

This integration allows educators to create learning environments that inspire curiosity and creativity, allowing students to become active participants in their learning journey.

Of course, large-scale issues such as climate change and sustainability cannot be tackled alone. As such, there is great opportunity to leverage dynamic learning spaces as an integration tool within and across industries.

In Singapore, there is currently a rise of such joint programmes and partnerships in tertiary institutions, such as the recent S$50 million investment into the interdisciplinary climate change research programme launched by Nanyang Technological University. 

This is one example of a great platform to bring together students from various fields and schools to co-create solutions for challenges we all face.

RETHINKING ASSESSMENT

As we transition away from standardised tests and traditional forms of evaluation, we still need to consider some form of impact assessment to track student progress and comprehension.

Holistic assessment methods are required to evaluate a student's understanding of sustainability concepts and their ability to apply them in various contexts.

Innovative assessment methods can include project-based portfolios demonstrating practical applications of regenerative principles — such as policy analysis, where students evaluate environmental policies and their implications through essays, presentations, or projects.

The mediums of debate and public speaking can be employed to assess students' ability to critically assess and effectively communicate on sustainability issues.

While these methods are guiding principles, what matters most is that everyone plays their part to embrace this collaborative approach.

Climate change demands urgent action from all sectors of society.

By embracing a collaborative approach to reimagining education, we can nurture a generation of conscientious global citizens who will drive the transformational movement towards a sustainable and resilient future for all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karen Yung is founder and Chief Collaboration Officer at Education in Motion.