Worldwatch Institute

"We will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." - Baba Dioum, Senegalese Ecologist As many sectors of public life incorporate more sustainable practices, one critical area is left behind... ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION In Worldwatch's spring campaign, we are raising $20,000 for our Transforming Cultures Project, which will explore our current consumer culture and how to shift to a more sustainable culture. A critical component of that shift is ecological education. Teaching our children to live in harmony with the natural world and their fellow citizens will be critical to combating climate change and saving an imperiled planet. Your gift of $50, $100, $250 or more will enable us to reach teachers, environmental educators, policymakers and other individuals who shape our schools and children's futures. Please make a gift today. To maintain humanity long into the future, sustainability will need to be the central tenet of education. Whether in a rural or urban, industrial or developing country setting, it is critical that sustainable practices are incorporated into early child development. The lynchpin of the Transforming Cultures Project will be State of the World 2010, which will launch a discussion of how to effectively incorporate lessons about sustainable living into the classroom. Some of the areas we will focus on include: Child Development and Education for Sustainability: Schools, from class time to lunch time, can provide our children with the proper cognitive and social tools for leading happy, healthy lifestyles in harmony with the natural environment. Protecting Children from the Merchants of Consumption: In the age of globalization, increased access to information means increased exposure to marketing. Schools can provide children with the necessary critical thinking skills to sort through the daily onslaught of advertisements and information. Transforming Universities into Centers of Sustainability: What is the point of a university education? To learn new skills? To deepen one's love of learning? To recognize humanity's complete dependence on the planet? For humanity to thrive, the answer needs to be yes to all of these questions, but today sustainability is rarely included in university curricula. Will you help us deliver these critical tools to leaders in the education community? Please make a donation of $50, $100, $250, or more to support getting State of the World 2010 into the right hands. Our future depends on it. Sincerely, Christopher Flavin President P.S. Become a monthly supporter ($50 or more per month) and receive a complimentary copy of State of the World 2010 in January, signed by Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin and Project Director Erik Assadourian!	Your contribution of $35, $50, $100, $250, or more will make this critical work possible.