Climate change education: Meeting NJ’s mandate hands-on

Climate change education: Meeting NJ’s mandate hands-on

Author: Ethical Schools February 13, 2024 Duration: 40:45

We speak with the New Jersey School of Conservation’s Kerry Kirk Pflugh and Tanya Sulikowski, and Garwood, NJ middle school teacher, K.C. Bree about the SOC and about New Jersey’s first-in-the-nation mandate for climate change education in every grade. The SOC, a newly-reopened 75-year-old center for experiential learning and fieldwork, provides professional development as well as interdisciplinary programming for students including applied science, math, humanities, and arts in an idyllic outdoor setting. Students learn about humans’ responsibility toward other animals and the planet, and are empowered to take action.Working cooperatively, they often develop new respect for their classmates.

Overview

00:00-00:17 Intros

00:17-03:00 NJ School of Conservation (SOC)

03:00-04:31 Professional development

04:31-08:00 NJ climate change education mandate

08:00-08:30 Social emotional learning 

08:30-09:39 Correlation with state standards

09:39-11:24 Ethic of care

11:24-14:20 Garwood climate change education in elementary grades

14:20-22:43 Social emotional learning

22:43-24:54 Relationship with animals other than humans and plants

24:54-32:28 Climate change education over the next 5-10 years

32:28-33:41 SOC as a model

33:41-36:07 How do schools reach out to SOC?

36:07- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 


Conversations about education often focus on test scores and curriculum, but there’s a deeper layer that truly shapes a student’s experience. Ethical Schools digs into that layer, exploring what it means to build a learning community grounded in integrity and care. Each week, hosts Amy and Jon sit down with educators and innovators who are actively reimagining schools. You’ll hear specific, grounded discussions about the practical work of creating environments where every student feels safe and respected. The dialogue frequently addresses how to support young people dealing with trauma, moving beyond theory to share actionable strategies that teachers are using right now. More than just problem-solving, this podcast highlights how to empower students themselves to become advocates and changemakers in their own communities. It’s a series that connects philosophy with daily practice, looking at the social and cultural structures within schools through a lens of ethics. For anyone invested in the future of education-whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or simply a concerned community member-this podcast offers a thoughtful and necessary perspective on the foundational values that make education meaningful.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 240

Ethical Schools
Podcast Episodes
Zoe Weil on humane education: The world becomes what we teach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:30
We talk with Zoe Weil, the co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education. She talks about providing young people with the knowledge, tools, and motivation to address our pressing challenges in order to t…