Connecting Children to the Environment through Place-Based Education and Community Involvement in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Greenlaw, Kinsley

Connecting Children to the Environment through Place-Based Education and Community Involvement in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/56740

Author(s)

Greenlaw, Kinsley

Date Issued

March 24, 2023

Abstract

One of the things that are falling away with the digital world is our connection to the world around us. There is a need for change because the world is reaching the tipping point on whether or not we can reverse human-facilitated climate change. One of the ways that this change can be facilitated is by providing an avenue for adults to care for and feel the need to make positive environmental decisions. With environmental education during childhood that emphasizes centering their experiences along with a focus on place-based education, a connection can be drawn. When a connection to the environment is made during adolescence these values persist into adulthood. For this project, I partnered with the Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) to work in the Rappahannock River located in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia. FOR is a non-profit organization that works towards river advocacy, education, and restoration within and around the Rappahannock River. They have secured funding from the National Ocean and Atmosphere Association to help aid in applying the essentials of the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience. The essentials focus on connecting children to their local environment and community. I created a curriculum with the intention to draw this connection and help satisfy the essentials of the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience With this curriculum students in the Fredericksburg City Schools will be able to have a place-based education curriculum that will foster connections to the environment and the community around them. From this connection, care for the environment during a crucial environmental crisis will be drawn so that they will be able to be environmentally conscious adults.

Major

Environmental Science

First Reader(s)

Pearce, Kelly