Students For A Sustainable Future

“The earth isn’t ours to use at our dispense.”

These words stuck with me since visiting Life Monteverde Farm yesterday morning and speaking with William, one of the owners of the Life Farm.  Our group toured and volunteered on a sustainable farm outside of Santa Elena where coffee and livestock are raised in a self-sustaining, environmentally conscious manner.

Our time at Life Monteverde Farm was more than just witnessing sustainable techniques used daily on the farm, but also how we as future teachers can educate our young students on making our earth last. It is our charge to help students realize their impact on this earth and recognize all aspects of sustainability; environmental, social, and economic. 

William educated us on the aspects of sustainability that many of us were unaware of.  While I had previously thought about being environmentally conscious in an economic sense, I had overlooked the social aspects of sustainability.  William encouraged us to go beyond caring about our own neighborhoods and communities, but to expand sustainable efforts to the world around us.  Are we truly maintaining our planet if we only care about recycling and conserving electricity in Springfield public schools? No.  He encouraged us to network around us and educate others on environmental, economic, and social sustainability. 

He then led our group into another topic of social sustainability; fair trade.  He went beyond the basics of fair trade like full pay of workers, reasonable labor hours, and a product that was morally produced.  He talked about not only educating the workers of farms, but educating and enriching the lives of their families as well.  Lots of Nicaraguan immigrants travel to Costa Rica to pick coffee in hopes of improving the lives of their families.  Although the pay for picking coffee is higher in Costa Rica than Nicaragua, the people working in the coffee fields continue to live a life of poverty that lacks education and meaningful establishment.  

Our planet isn’t something we own or can claim.  I believe it is important to instill a sense of pride in students when they make efforts to be environmentally conscious.  I really liked that Kindergarten students at Cloud Forest School each had the opportunity to plant a tree on their school grounds and watch the tree grow as they progressed throughout grades.  Allowing students to make a positive impact on the world around them and educate their families is something teachers easily have the power to do.