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DICA4Schools: good practices of the role of academy in education for sustainability

By Paola Gattinoni, Daniela Molinari, Marta Pampanin, Giovanni Michele Porta and Anita Raimondi

Abstract: The paper presents DICA4Schools, an education initiative of Politecnico di Milano aimed at disseminating scientific knowledge on environmental sustainability to primary and secondary schools. The program emphasizes an inclusive and engaging pedagogical approach that leverages the Kolb Cycle, Problem-Based Learning, and Inquiry-Based Learning methodologies. By incorporating peer education activities, the program also fosters critical thinking and collaborative skills. DICA4Schools promotes sustainability and resilience through interactive and hands-on learning experiences (i.e., lab experiments, games, and technological tools). These activities are planned and tailored to students’ ages and their prior knowledge and aligned with the SDGs identified as relevant by the school teachers. Preliminary impact assessment indicates that DICA4Schools has been successful in enhancing students’ knowledge and awareness of environmental sustainability. The program has also stimulated interest in STEM disciplines among both female and male students, demonstrating the potential of academic institutions to play a vital role in education for sustainable development starting from early years education.

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A Future Invested in Sustainability: Sustainable Architecture and Education in the Midwest through the Ethical Philosophy of Luce Irigaray

By Andrea Wheeler

Wheeler JSE March 2017_Future Casting Issue PDF Abstract: Theories of sustainable architecture that address sexual difference are rare in an architectural context, whether in the United States or Europe, and this paper proposes a critical perspective on architectural design using sustainable schools as an example and adopting the question of sexual difference. Informed by the […]

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Review of Learning Gardens and Sustainability Education: Bringing Life to Schools and Schools to Life.

By Tricia Francis-Morgan

Tricia Francis-Morgan elegantly lays out all the power in Williams and Brown’s book. She gives just enough of a taste of how transformational learning gardens can be, in so many different ways, from the social to the physical, to the biological, that we are left with a desire to quickly get the book. At the same time, Francis-Morgan’s perspective on this pioneering book carries extra weight given her own experiences using learning gardens in the Caribbean.

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