EarthEd Press Kit

CONTACT EMAIL WEBSITE

Jaime Jennings, 202-232-7933 x44 Gaelle Gourmelon, 202-452-1999 x510 jjennings@islandpress.org, ggourmelon@worldwatch.org www.islandpress.org, www.worldwatch.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EarthEd (State of the World) Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet

By The Worldwatch Institute

Washington, D.C. (April 20, 2017) — President Trump’s systematic rolling back of environmental regulations sends a clear message to teachers, learners, and other citizens: thinking about sustainability and climate change is not a national priority.

In the face of disregard for science and the environment, it is imperative that the next generation receive an education that will prepare them to navigate the challenges of the turbulent century ahead. The Worldwatch Institute’s EarthEd: Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet (Publication Date: April 20, 2017) shows the path forward for truly futureready learning (www.worldwatch.org).

“This book is dedicated to the teachers of the world: those teaching character, life skills, and the ability to think critically and creatively about the future,” says Erik Assadourian, EarthEd project director. “Most importantly, this book is dedicated to those teaching students to be bold leaders who will defend and heal the Earth.”

EarthEd explores how education must evolve to prepare students for the dual challenges of building a sustainable society and adapting to an unavoidably changing planet.

In Part One, expert contributors navigate the fundamentals of Earth education, ranging from ecoliteracy and stewardship education to systems thinking and home economics. The authors go beyond traditional education, looking at the critical role of outdoor play,

sexuality education, and social emotional learning in developing a new generation of creative and empowered citizens.

Part Two reveals opportunities for higher education, reimagining the way that economics, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and business are taught. Experts offer ways to restructure the classroom and academic institutions to provide budding leaders with skills that will be relevant as climate change causes unprecedented changes to our ecological, economic, and social realities over coming decades.

“The authors in this volume are among the leaders at the forefront of environmental education,” writes David W. Orr, Paul Sears Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Counselor to the President at Oberlin College. “The stories, research, and insight that follow will inspire by the examples, models, and sheer dedication and perseverance.”

With the latest edition of State of the World, the researchers at Worldwatch bring to light how, by rethinking education, people worldwide can better adapt to a rapidly changing planet.

The launch of this year’s State of the World report will be hosted by Appalachian State University, a university committed to sustainability education. It will be a full day event, consisting of short talks and panel discussions. You can register to join the live webcast at http://earthed.info/events/earthed-symposium.

The Worldwatch Institute is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute’s State of the World report is published annually in multiple languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org.

EarthEd (State of the World) Island Press Paperback Original Publication Date: April 13, 2017 392 pages | 6.5x8.38 | Price: $25.00 ISBN: 9781610918428 Book page: https://islandpress.org/book/earthed-state-of-the-world Founded in 1984, Island Press works to stimulate, shape, and communicate the information that is essential for solving environmental problems. Today, with more than 1,000 titles in print and some 30 new releases each year, it is the nation’s leading publisher of books on environmental issues. Island Press is driving change by moving ideas from the printed page to public discourse and practice. Island Press’s emphasis is, and will continue to be, on transforming objective information into understanding and action. For more information and further updates be sure to visit www.islandpress.org. ###

CONTACT Jaime Jennings, 202-232-7933 x44 Gaelle Gourmelon, 202-452-1999 x510 EMAIL jjennings@islandpress.org, ggourmelon@worldwatch.org WEBSITE www.islandpress.org, www.worldwatch.org

Six Steps to Creating Future-Ready Schools At a time of global-scale challenges, from climate change to social unrest, the next generation needs an education revolution to navigate the turbulent century ahead. The Worldwatch Institute’s EarthEd: Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet shows the path forward for future-ready learning (www.worldwatch.org). Here are Worldwatch’s six steps to creating an education system that is focused on building a sustainable society that is ready to adapt to a changing planet: 1. Instill a sense of Earth-dependence. Teaching students ecoliteracy, the ability to understand the natural systems that make life on Earth possible, is a key piece of the education revolution. But learning about our dependence on the Earth academically is not enough. Children must play, learn, and connect directly with their local ecosystems, cultivating a deeper relationship with the broader ecological community.

2. Teach interdependence. Given that many of the challenges of the future will center on the equitable distribution of increasingly constrained resources and ecosystem services, education must cultivate a deeper understanding of our interdependence with our fellow humans, irrespective of differences in culture, creed, color, gender, or sexual orientation.

3. Cultivate creativity. Because solving the complex challenges ahead will require fresh ideas, education should prioritize creativity. Play, ranging from exploring playgrounds and landscapes to creating arts and designing scientific experiments, is a key element in developing this creativity.

4. Dig into deep learning. “Learning how to learn” makes us more flexible, more adaptable, and thus better able to manage the surprises that the future throws at us.

5. Build life skills. Life skills require a mix of critical thinking, social and emotional intelligence, and creativity. Life skills can include a wide variety of proficiencies, ISLAND PRESS | TIP SHEET | 1

including cooking and gardening, language learning, comprehensive sexuality education, and vocational training.

6. Aim for Earth-centric leadership. Earth-centric leadership is the full actualization of education, of empowering and emboldening students to work energetically to build a sustainable future and to prepare for the difficult transitions ahead. Schools can teach students to take active roles as advocates, organizers, social entrepreneurs, and leaders of all types.

ISLAND PRESS | TIP SHEET | 2