Kids+Ecology+Corps

Indira Kumar Sustainability Education Curriculum Module # 6 April 2, 2013

Kids Ecology Corp []

The Kids Ecology Corps is a program of Partners in Action Inc., a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1981, providing educational, cultural and leadership experience to you people encouraging immediate, positive, environmental action. And, continuous, determined action is making Environmental Harmony an idea whose time has come.
 * Organization **

Kids Ecology Corps mission is to inspire young people to make environmental action part of their everyday life and generate a critical mass of people to create environmental harmony throughout the world. The curriculum was started by a grant from the State of Florida, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Urban and Community Forestry.
 * Mission **

“We are all interconnected and interdependent, with each other and with our environment. This curriculum combines traditional environmental education with hands-on cutting-edge technology, in an effort to motivate students to learn about these connections, to learn key marketable skills, and to apply what they learn to locally based case studies. Through this curriculum, students will learn to integrate abstract concepts, facts and practical experience in order to transform Brownsfields into Greensfields and make a difference in their own neighborhoods and communities.” (Curriculum Part One, Page 4)
 * Educational Philosophy **

The KEC offers young people from pre-k through high school hands-on presentation and eco-action programs that educate children about keeping oceans clean, pollution prevention, water conservation, the importance of trees, global climate change and protection of local natural habitats. Each curriculum segment has a deep focus on various environmental issues. Each one includes several hands-on activities that demonstrate different contributors and solutions. Part 1: An Environmental Curriculum Guide Part 2: What’s Going On With Our Air? Part 3: What’s Going On With Our Water? Part 4: What’s Going On With Our Food? Part 5: What’s Going On With Our Garbage? Part 6: What’s Going On With Our Beaches? Part 7: What’s Going On with Our Trees & Parks? Part 8: Trees Bring New Opportunities with New Technology Part 9: Brownfield Assessment, Redevelopment & Remediation Part 10: Learning To Become Environmental Presenters and Mentors
 * Learning Outcomes **

The Air Pollution Curriculum, “What’s Going On With Out Water” was designed well for the learning outcomes. Each activity deeply described the topic, its issues and its solution. Some of the activities were more hands-on than others. But for a mature group, this curriculum would be very effective.
 * Do you think the curriculum is appropriately designed to produce the intended learning outcomes? **

This curriculum teaches many different literacies from the EcoEd Research Group. Environmental literacy and complete understanding of causes is covered in this curriculum. It thoroughly analyzes the causation of pollutions and creates sustainable alternative. I think concluding with the effects of climate change wraps up the section well.
 * Does this curriculum teach the kind of literacies the EcoEd Research Group advocates? **

It would have been better to have more hands-on activities, especially for younger students. These modules can be adapted to students in pre-k through high school, however teaching these concepts would be must harder for the younger students. Many of the activities were conversational but I think the visual, hands-on activities would be very successful with all ages. More visuals would enrich this curriculum.
 * What could be layered into this curriculum so that it addresses more of the learning outcomes that the EcoEd Group advocates? **