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Presenters: Deborah McNamara, Directo r of Organizational Partnerships, Northwest Earth Institute

Shared Learning, Shared Story, Shared Action: Curricular & Co-Curricular Tools for Engaging the Social Dimensions of Change AASHE Conference, October 7 th , 2013. Presenters: Deborah McNamara, Directo r of Organizational Partnerships, Northwest Earth Institute

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Presenters: Deborah McNamara, Directo r of Organizational Partnerships, Northwest Earth Institute

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  1. Shared Learning, Shared Story, Shared Action: Curricular & Co-Curricular Tools for Engaging the Social Dimensions of ChangeAASHE Conference, October 7th, 2013 Presenters: Deborah McNamara, Director of Organizational Partnerships, Northwest Earth Institute Lacy Cagle, Director of Curriculum & Community Engagement, Northwest Earth Institute

  2. Briefing Objectives • Introduce NWEI’s sustainability-focused courseware as a curricular and co-curricular tool for your campus/classroom • Discuss NWEI’s Pedagogy & Theory of Change • Highlight implementation ideas

  3. About Northwest Earth Institute • National non-profit leader in the development of innovative sustainability courseware for over 20 years • 145,000 people engaged, over 300 higher education institutions, 4,000+ students, faculty, staff engaged each year • Offerings: Course books, EcoChallenge, Online Platform

  4. About Northwest Earth Institute • Course books = discussion/dialogue based • We believe change starts at the personal level • Change is most effective in a social context • Content = accessible, stories, investigative journalism, opinion pieces, thought leaders in sustainability field

  5. Course Book Topics: • Choices for Sustainable Living • Menu for the Future • Hungry for Change: Food, Ethics & Sustainability • Sustainable Systems at Work • Voluntary Simplicity • Discovering a Sense of Place • Reconnecting With Earth • A World of Health: Connecting People, Place and Planet • Change By Degrees: Addressing the Climate Challenge

  6. Discussion questions included • Inquiry based, participatory learning • Additional resources, action planning tools and action assignments included

  7. Pedagogy & Theory of Change “The volume of education continues to increase, yet so do pollution, exhaustion of resources, and the dangers of ecological catastrophe. If still more education is to save us, it would have to be education of a different kind: an education that takes us into the depth of things.”  -E. F. Schumacher

  8. Pedagogy & Theory of Change • Recognizing, examining, and recreating our assumptions about the systems of which we are a part • Critical reflection • Interpretive, learner-centered approach to education • Collaborative construction of knowledge • Skill development

  9. Transformative Learning “Information alone is just noise; it has to be applicable, it has to be interesting, it has to be doable, it has to have personal relevance. That is the power of the NWEI method. Because it’s not a question of ‘what did the author say about so-and-so?’ It’s ‘What do you think? How can you use it? And what was your reaction?’” - Lena Rotenberg, Educational Consultant

  10. Shared discovery: Use both dialogue & discussionto drive critical thinking and action. Share perspectives & experiences. • Personal reflection: Included discussion questions are personal, connect material to real life, community, values. Identify & assess your own assumptions. • Positive action: Apply your learning. • Consensus is not the goal.

  11. Why It Works • 80% feel a greater sense of personal obligation for solving environmental challenges • 73% more regularly make reductions in energy and water consumption • 72% take more seriously the challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, rising personal consumption and limited natural resources • 60% more frequently volunteer for environmental causes and make alternative transportation choices • 70% buy more local and organic produce • 87% feel the small group discussion process was helpful in creating changeRESULTS:Community, Self-reflection, Interaction, Active learning, Increased sense of responsibility

  12. Implementation • Classroom/Supplement to existing course • Introductory – as stand alone course text, supplemental process • 300+ level – as supplemental text and process • Capstone Courses

  13. Implementation • Faculty and staff professional development • Student life: Residence Life, EcoReps • Green Teams • Sustainability Office Programming • Study Abroad • Service Learning • Freshman Orientation/First Year Experience • Libraries/Reference

  14. Implementation • Birmingham-Southern College: Year-long, cross-disciplinary Dialogue Series on Food • Illinois Wesleyan University: Sustainability training for Residential Advisors/Office of Res Life • University of Portland: Food Justice Internship • University of Florida: University Green Team Captains’ training

  15. Visit www.nwei.org Contact: deborah@nwei.org, lacy@nwei.org *Visit our booth in the Expo Hall, Books in Bookstore

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