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Environmental education builds on many tenets of positive youth development (PYD), including the idea that young people have personal assets and skills that should be fostered and developed. Programs based on this idea create learning environments and activities that give students the support they need to build life skills and become productive community members. PYD programs are based on collaborative partnerships, are learner-driven, and are framed around the assets that each learner brings to the table. These programs can be successfully integrated in formal and nonformal educational settings.
On the East Coast of the United States, teenagers are leading eforts to monitor microplastics in the Bronx River. In Uganda, students are working alongside scientists to protect wildlife.1 In these places, and in many more around the world, young people are taking the lead to help protect the environment and build stronger communities. They are part of programs that integrate environmental education and positive youth development to create space for young voices to be heard, encourage informed action, and spark civic engagement across generations. This chapter explores ways in which PYD and environmental education intersect to create more civically engaged and environmentally conscious learners.
Chapter Author: Alex Kudryavtsev, Cornell University
Featured Case Study: Rocking the Boat: Using Environmental Education to Promote Positive Youth Development
Rocking the Boat works with high school students through courses in one of three disciplines: Wooden Boatbuilding, Environmental Science, and Sailing. In each program, students advance by semester through progressive levels of skills and responsibilities. Students who master the requisite skills join an advanced Job Skills level in each of these programs as paid apprentices. These apprentices tackle more complex projects, often collaborating with outside partners, and are supported with professional development training. The long-term nature of the projects and opportunities for advancement keep participants engaged and benefitting from a range of counseling services, academic coaching, and employment opportunities through high school and until they graduate from college or technical school.
This chapter is part of the GEEP case study e-book, Environmental Education in Action: Learning from Case Studies Around the World, which introduces case studies as a valuable learning tool and dives into key topics in environmental education.