Are we preparing children to thrive in the world they will inherit?
Rochester Business Journal by Abby McHugh-Grifa
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to see RIT’s Senior Advisor to the President for Strategic Planning and Sustainability, Enid Cardinal, give a presentation about what sustainability is and why it’s important. The presentation included a brief “game” that totally blew my mind. First, she put up a slide with pictures of 12 letters, each of which was taken from the logo of a famous brand (e.g., the C from Coca-Cola, in their white cursive font on a red background). She asked us to write down the complete brand name for all the ones we could identify. I knew almost all of them. Then she put up a slide with photos of 12 leaves and asked us to write down what type of plant they were from. I correctly identified only two.
Everyone in the group had a similar experience. We could easily recognize the brands but were stumped by the plants. Enid then proceeded to point out how problematic this was, since several of the plants could either nourish us (e.g., apples) or harm us in some way (e.g., poison oak), and about half of the brands represented unhealthy foods (e.g., Reese’s, Oreo, Hershey’s, Dunkin Donuts, etc.). It was instantly clear to me, and probably everyone else in the room, that we had been seriously mis-educated somewhere along the way. Though we all had college degrees, we were remarkably ignorant about the natural world and highly susceptible to the influence of marketing. Recognizing this dangerous combination in myself and my peers was alarming and uncomfortable, but it also helped me understand why we have been so slow to address the environmental crises that are unfolding all around us: Our heads are mostly filled with unhelpful stuff.
Despite my efforts to steer them in a more environmentally conscious direction, I worry that my children are being similarly mis-educated, both in school and by our culture. I also worry that this mis-education will harm them more than it has harmed me, because the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, etc. will directly and profoundly shape their lives in ways that can no longer be avoided or ignored. The world is likely to be a dramatically different place when they come of age, so the skills and knowledge they will need to thrive are also likely to be quite different.
Here’s are several things that I believe my kids and other kids would benefit from learning more about, ideally through direct, hands-on experience:
Problem solving and conflict resolution
Critical thinking
Strategic thinking
Systems thinking, including both ecosystems and social systems
How to responsibly manage the flow and distribution of resources, power, and energy, in all their many forms
Literal Earth care (i.e., how to protect and restore air, water, and soil)
How to grow food and live sustainably
Media literacy
The scientific method (i.e., how to conduct experiments and analyze research results)
How to facilitate and participate constructively in democratic, collaborative processes
Economics, in a manner that acknowledges the problematic aspects of our current system and provides opportunities to explore alternatives
Our nation’s history, in all its complexity and contradiction (so we don’t continue to repeat the mistakes of the past)
Other cultures and other ways of living and understanding the world (to overcome American exceptionalism and learn about strategies that other cultures are using to successfully advance environmental stewardship and support human wellbeing)
How to (1) cultivate respectful, consensual, equitable relationships, (2) establish and maintain healthy relationship boundaries, and (3) responsibly disengage from toxic relationships
Effective, nonviolent communication
“Green job” opportunities
I know that advancing these learning goals would require a dramatic shift from what currently happens in most schools, which is exactly the point. The existing system is not serving children well, so it’s probably time for a bold overhaul.
Though I don’t think my kids’ school is preparing them well for the future, I don’t fault their teachers or administrators for this. I know they are doing their best and are hampered by myriad systemic barriers that dictate what they teach and how they teach it. Learning about climate change and how to care for the Earth simply isn’t part of the curriculum. In addition, school policies and practices often promote and model environmentally destructive behaviors (e.g., creating enormous amounts of waste and not disposing of it properly). Fortunately, groups like the Climate & Resilience Education Task Force are working to address this, but advocacy from parents and other concerned citizens is also needed. New York state’s 2025 legislative session is just getting started, so if you are interested in supporting policy that will improve the environmental education that local children receive, now is the perfect time to get involved in a formal advocacy campaign, or just call the governor and other elected officials to let them know this issue is important to you.
The economy is quickly changing and will need to change much more if we want to avoid environmental collapse and learn to live within the boundaries of what the planet can provide. To change the economy, we also need to change how we educate children. According to a recent study by Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, about half of Gen Zers don’t feel well prepared for the future and that is negatively impacting their mental health.
Children deserve an education that prepares them for the future. Adults are responsible for providing that education. To some extent, parents can educate their children at home, but if the broader culture and education system don’t support that learning, children are unlikely to develop the skills and knowledge they will need to thrive on a warming planet. This is clearly a matter of intergenerational (in)justice. It is therefore time to rethink what it means to become a well-educated person and invest in systems that reliably and equitably provide that education for all young people.