Community-based
Education
K-12 students serving as a resource
for meeting community needs
A Goal of Our Society:
Sustainable Development
Development that meets the needs of the
present without jeopardizing the ability
of future generations to meet their needs.
Community Response
“Our task is to identify sound sustainable
partnership initiatives that will serve as a
catalyst for developing a citizenry that is eager
to understand and address environmental
concerns and issues.”
Keith Wheeler
GREEN
Educational Response
Education for sustainability is a lifelong
learning process that leads to an informed
citizenry having the creative problemsolving skills, scientific and social literacy,
and commitment to engage in responsible
individual and cooperative actions. These
actions will help ensure an
environmentally sound and economically
prosperous future.
Science Teaching Standards
IDENTIFY AND USE RESOURCES
OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL
The classroom is a limited environment.
The school science program must extend
beyond the walls of the school to the
resources of the community
Science Teaching Standards
ENGAGE STUDENTS IN
DESIGNING THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
As part of challenging students to take
responsibility for their learning, teachers
involve them in the design and
management of the learning environment.
Sample Mission Statement
In partnership with the community, we ensure
that each student will have the essential
knowledge, skills and attitudes to be a lifelong
learner, a contributing citizen and a productive
worker in a changing and increasingly diverse
world. (Salem-Keizer Public School)
School
Community
School
Community
School
Community
School
Community
Community
School
Community
(citizen access)
Public
Domain
Life Roles
(example: Citizen
Individual, Producer)
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Information
Gathering
Participating in Community Themes
(example: Natural Resources
Lifelong Learning
Skills, knowledge,
and attitudes needed
Public
Domain
Public
Domain
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Information
Gathering
STEP ONE: ENTERING THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Engage students in the inventory of their community
through surveys and community mapping
Examine documents that guide agencies and citizens in the
use and management of natural resources.
Conduct needs and opportunity assessments and be available
to serve as a resource for the community.
STEP ONE: ENTERING THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
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Engage students in the inventory of their community
through surveys and community mapping
City agencies like City Planning, Public Works, and
Parks Departments
County agencies like County Planning, and Parks
Departments
State agencies like Forestry, Agriculture, Water
Resources, Fish and Wildlife, Parks, and State Lands
Departments
Federal agencies like BLM, EPA, NRCS/SWCD, Forest
Service, Fish and Wildlife, and Agriculture Department.
Community organizations like watershed councils,
“Friends” groups, and environmental centers and
organizations.
Business and Industry like water labs, landscape
architects, environmental services and timber companies
Private land owners involved in resource use and
management like land trusts, farming and logging
STEP ONE: ENTERING THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
Examine documents that guide agencies
and citizens in the use and management of
natural resources.
• City and County Comprehensive Plans
• State Planning Goals
• Public Agency Plans (Forest Practices Regulations and Water
Resources Planning)
• Land Use Goals
• Business and Industry Regulations
• EPA Standards
• Land Trusts
Oregon Example:
Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines
Goal 1: Citizen Involvement
The general public through the local citizen involvement
programs should have the opportunity to:
Data Collection
Plan Preparation
Adoption Process
Implementation
Evaluation
Revision
Oregon Example:
Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative
The Oregon Plan
Community-based action
The plan recognizes that actions to conserve and
restore salmon must be worked out by communities
and landowners, with local knowledge of problems
and ownership in solutions
The bulk of the work to conserve and restore
watersheds will be done by local people
Education is a fundamental part of communitybased action.
Polk County Example:
Comprehensive Plan
Citizen Involvement
Policies
a. The formulation and development of plans,
maps, surveys, inventories, or other
documented
elements of the planning process
b. The determination of public goals and policy
guidelines incorporated into the Polk County
Comprehensive Plan; and
c. The review, evaluation, or recommendation of
change regarding any land use action.
City of Salem Example
Stormwater Permit: Best Management Practices
Public Education Plan
Public Information Plan
Public Participation Plan
City of Salem Example:
ADOPT-A-STREAM PROGRAM
The City of Salem’s Public Works Department
sponsors an ongoing Adopt-A- Stream program
to provide educational opportunities about local
urban streams and wetlands. Teachers work in
conjunction with their students to monitor,
study, enhance, and report on water quality and
quantity and general stream conditions. The
information, or data, is provided to the Public
Works Department to supplement the City’s
own monitoring.
School presentations
Storm Drain Stenciling Program
Step One: Entering the Public Domain
Conduct needs and opportunity
assessments and be available to serve as a
resource for the community.
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Water use or diversion
Land Conversion
Agriculture
Forestry
Fisheries
Industrialization
Urbanization
Recreation
Public
Domain
Public
Domain
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Information
Gathering
Step One: Entering the Public Domain
Engage students in the inventory of their community through
surveys and community mapping
Examine documents that guide agencies and citizens in the use and
management of natural resources.
Conduct needs and opportunity assessments and be available to
serve as a resource for the community.
Public
Domain
Information
Gathering
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Information
Gathering
STEP TWO: INFORMATION GATHERING
Students learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
necessary to monitor and research areas that the
community has said are important and needed.
Students form partnerships with agencies and members
of the community to help them to complete their work.
Science concepts, content, and state standards are addressed
here in the context of the community.
Step Two: Information Gathering
Examples:
Wetland inventories
State and federal forest inventories
City and county parks surveys
Estuary, beach, and stream monitoring
Agricultural surveys
Private land development monitoring
Species diversity inventories
Public
Domain
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Policy/
DecisionMaking
Information
Gathering
STEP THREE: POLICY/ DECISION-MAKING
Student-citizens provide feedback to the agencies and
general public on what they have found and learned from
the participation. This then raises the capacity of the
community to be involved in policy and decision- making
by becoming aware of and understanding the use and
management of the natural resources around them.
STEP THREE:
POLICY/ DECISION- MAKING
Examples:
Presentations to various boards, agencies, and
organizations
Interpretive information at study sites
Public information displays
Planning community events and service
projects
Mill Creek Project
Gaging Station