Submitted by RE Sources for Sustainable Communities
RE Sources’ 38-year-old education program, Sustainable Schools, ia making its curriculum available for all area students online. Lessons vary for learners from kindergarten to high school, and can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours to complete, depending on the student’s curiosity.
“During school closures and stay-at-home orders, we’ve transformed our curriculum so kids (and their parents, if they want) can enjoy learning from home!” according to Sustainable Schools Program Manager, Priscilla Brotherton.
The content is interactive and place-based to help students ground their learning in their surroundings. Lessons cover environmentally-relevant topics like the water cycle, stormwater, waste management, upcycling, and more. Lessons include a little history and background information, an in-depth look at a specific environmental issue, hands-on projects students can do at home to deepen their understanding (or just have fun), videos, and action projects.
According to RE Sources’ website, “Each lesson is centered around an action project, or ways students can apply their learning, take action to benefit their community, and build their confidence as contributing members of society.”
Students and parents can visit RE Sources website, re-sources.org/onlinelearning and start anywhere. Each lesson is stand alone and can be followed in any order. New lessons will be uploaded each week.
“Parents and educators in our community are under a lot of strain right now to find new ways to entertain and educate their kids,” says Brotherton. “RE Sources’ role is to offer creative solutions and education opportunities to help our communities thrive. We’ll continue that work and look for more ways to support those who are heavily impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis.”
Brotherton added, “We hope students will get to know the natural world a little better, experiment with some do-it-yourself projects at home, and have fun learning online!”
About RE Sources
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities is a local nonprofit organization in Bellingham dedicated to protecting the health of northwest Washington’s people and ecosystems through the application of science, education, advocacy, and action. For more information, visit re-sources.org.
