Sustainability is more than a catchword - it is a new kind of thinking, a way to pursue environmental stewardship, economic security and social equity as complementary goals.
More and more, as students pursue degrees at institutions of higher education worldwide, they are exposed to the concepts of sustainable development. Long a hallmark in fi elds such as environmental studies or agriculture, sustainability issues now are cropping up in all walks of course work. Degree programs from Business to Engineering are incorporating discussions of the real-world application of sustainability in their curricula. This reality necessitates more discussion of sustainability in K-12 curricula.
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation's (CELF) mission is to bring about enduring institutional change to education by promoting sustainability as a core K-12 learning framework. Through early education we can equip students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will lead to a sustainable future for everyone.
Ultimately, we envision our children and future generations understanding the unique and complex systems that support the natural, as well as the human-built environments, and having the knowledge, the desire and the ability to save the integrity of those systems.
