7 skills to teach in schools for a sustainable future

Providing our students with valuable knowledge and skills to build climate resilient communities

1. Growing Food

Learning to grow your own food is a powerful life skill that benefits people, the planet and your pocket. Children that learn to grow their own food are more resilient and self-sufficient.

2. Saving Seeds

One single organic tomato has enough seeds inside of it to grow a dozen or more tomato plants. For free! Each of these tomato plants will produce more tomatoes with more seeds. Nature is amazing. Saving seeds is a tiny act of rebellion against global food systems and a needed skill for resilient communities.

3. Composting

As our soil quality continues to be depleted, knowing how composting works and how to revive our soils is valuable knowledge. Schools are a great place for children to learn different methods of composting and learn that food scraps are a valuable resource that should not be wasted. Nutrient rich compost is black gold!

4. Foraging and Plant Identification

Free, healthy, medicinal foods grow all around us. A child that knows what plants are safe to eat, and which plants are not, is an empowered child.

5. Water Filtration & Rain Water Harvesting

Learning how nature filters water and how we can learn from nature and mimic this process is a survival skill. Water conservation is a covered topic in most schools and we can add depth to this understanding by setting up rain barrels on campus and showing students the benefits of rain water harvesting.

6. How to repair

Our landfills are filled with our stuff and some of that stuff could have been repaired. Teach children to value natural resources by teaching them how to make small repairs. Model this in the classroom if something breaks, or hold a Repair Cafe at school and invite experts in to give lessons on how to repair things like clothes, bikes, etc.

7. How to Use Tools

Children of all ages can learn to use real tools safely. Teach young students to use hammers and screwdrivers to start and introduce power tools when children are older. A child that knows how to use a hammer safely is a child that views themselves as a problem solver. Problem-solvers build resilient communities.

Education is power. Let's empower our students to become citizens prepared for the challenges of a changing climate.