Schooling for Eco-Literacy

Say Cheese!

Today’s children are going to be faced with increasing environmental issues whose outcomes are going to dictate the future of life on earth. They are going to need the skills and intelligence to deal with these big picture issues, to have a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of humans and natural systems. Schooling for sustainability and eco-literacy is the approach that Mala`ai is adopting. Rather than just teaching the kids how to survive, Mala`ai is actively participating in creating a vision of sustainability, one adopted from the Center for Eco-Literacy:

“A truly sustainable community is alive — fresh, vital, evolving, diverse, dynamic. It supports the health and quality of life of present and future generations while living within the limits of its social and natural systems. It recognizes the need for justice, and for physical, emotional, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual sustenance.”

These sustainable values permeate all of the work accomplished and planned at Mala`ai. It is this bigger picture ideal for the community that is the purpose behind all the work we do.