Environmental Education For Better Life

This book takes young people between 12 - 18 (depending on literacy levels) through a series of exercises, each aimed at getting them to look at the effect that they have in the world, and the potential they have to increase their own positive impact.

For young readers there are simple but precise exercises that get students to look at the things family members do for each other to make their lives happier, healthier, and safer. Then they actively take steps to enhance the lives of their family members and then observe if their own life got better in any way, as a result of doing that. The overall concept is to have them look at what others do for them and what they do for others. This concept extends to teachers, their school, local stores, their church, a local park. All the courses have the same principles presented in an age appropriate way.

With this foundational understanding of how they can improve their own life through more constructive decision making and actions they realize that they have a growing sphere of impact. The exercises then move them into nature and they gradually observe how the entire world operates on this principle. Through this activity students gain a far better understanding of how the world works through balanced exchange, not entitlement, and they begin to take more actions to improve conditions around them and to safeguard and improve the natural world.

The Floreat Sustainable Schools Group is an amazing group of learners between the ages of 12 -14, that attend a non-fee-paying school in Cape Town. The dedicated teachers of the school run a thriving Educational Environmental Club which was started in 1980. The unwavering commitment of the teachers of Floreat has seen the continuation of environmental programs for over 44 years. For a school situated in an area that is confronted by economic hardship, crime and gangsterism this is an incredible achievement.  

We were delighted by the enthusiasm of both teachers and learners of Floreat to pilot our book in their environmental club. They gave us invaluable feedback on ways to streamline and improve our book and shared their wins and success with us. Thanks, Floreat High School for your commitment to the environment.

Successes

Teachers B. Solomons and R. Florence gave us some very interesting insight on what the learners gained from the book:

"A healthy ecosystem needs positive interactions and that complaining won’t get the job done. This year this Sustainable School group started recycling cooldrink tins. Learners brought their tins from their surroundings and realized how easy it can be if people learn to work together.

With regards to helping others, you actually start helping yourself. Also, how the world is so connected and that somehow, we can either impact the world in a positive or negative way by our choices. That by starting with small things that surround you, can make a world of difference. Thus, they received better awareness about how interconnected we are and by destroying the environment in Africa it could totally impact another part of the world.

The title Because No One Survives Alone already gives you an indication that, in order to improve any situation, people will have to learn to work together."