Empower youth to make real change in their schools and communities WITH CULTIVATING PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY
Over the course of a year, youth-adult teams develop and implement community action projects to address the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which focus on pathways to building a socially, economically, and ecologically just society.
What to expect
Form a team of students and educators and join in Youth Participatory Action Research, with resources and support from UP for Learning and Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools. You’ll explore the Sustainable Development Goals; connect with and assess your place; and plan and implement a project to advance the global goals.
Choose your support level:
LEVEL 1
Attend two learning retreats, virtual or regional
• Foundations of youth-adult partnership
• Rooting in the SDGs
• Youth Participatory Action Research project
• Sustainability
• Sharing across groups and celebration
$100
LEVEL 2
Level 1 and four youthled virtual support sessions during school year
• Connect with other CPS groups
• Talk with youth facilitators who have done CPS in past
• YPAR project support
• Shared resources and strategies
$2,500
LEVEL 3
Levels 1 + 2 and personalized team coaching, 1 hr./month
• Virtual or in-person coaching with your team
• Build shared leadership, power, and responsibility
• Support for agenda setting, vision, and project management
• Support with grants
• School transformation
$7,500
Add adult professional learning: $500/educator
SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION STORY MAIN STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL | MONTPELIER, VT
During Cultivating Pathways, this youth-adult team designed and launched a sustainability learning program at their school, called MSMS_Sustain. Founded on the belief that today’s students must know about and understand issues related to climate change, sustainability, and social justice—and that students and adults should be partners—MSMS_Sustain utilizes a project- and community-based learning model. Students explore areas of interest like local agriculture and food insecurity, connect with others working to solve those problems, and communicate their findings to the school community. The class is now in its third year.
SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION STORY KOPILA VALLEY SCHOOL | SURKHET, NEPAL
Middle schoolers focused on the Sustainable Development Goals of advancing climate action and life on land. They developed a campaign to educate the community about the harmful impacts of burning plastic and created cloth bag alternatives to distribute locally.
Calendar
Kick off
Youth-led gatherings (Virtual)
October 2023
November 2023
January 2024
March 2024
May 2024
Closing retreat
Late May 2024
How
to apply
bit.ly/CPS2023Application
Apply as a middle or high school partner team of 6-8 youth and 2-3 adults
Application deadline: September 15, 2023
Visit shelburnefarms.org/cps or bit.ly/upforlearning-CPS for more information
Email katie@upforlearning.org or jcirillo@shelburnefarms.org to discuss this and other professional learning opportunities