The Initiative
Based on the PBS series Edens Lost & Found, Going to Green was developed to provide a standards-based environmental education curriculum for schools, colleges, and communities. About halfway through the Chicago filming of Edens, one of the individuals we interviewed staged, “You know, children are our future. If we can’t get them interested in and excited about the environment, we’re lost.”
What makes this comment especially poignant is that the speaker was himself a teenager. He was just one of the many people we interviewed as part of our three-year project. While we encountered numerous innovative ideas set into action by adults, we feel that the future of America– and, indeed, our planet– lies in the education of our young people about the issues facing our environment and our communities today.
In this spirit, we have developed this curriculum in the hopes of challenging minds and hearts to take up the causes. Teachers who have tested these strategies report great success, not only in high schools but also in university extension classes, community colleges, and even community organizations. The information and lessons provided highlight the connection between our actions and their effects on not only the planet’s health but also on the well-being of our neighbors. This environmental curriculum seeks to empower students and teachers alike, as this journey toward a more sustainable future is one that we must make together.
Shop
Visit the MPC Shop to to purchase the Going to Green curriculum, including the Going to Green textbook and 19 DVDs on topics relating to sustainability, waste management, water quality, green building, and more.
What They’re Saying
“Going to Green is unparalleled in its narrative inventiveness, compelling visual imagery, and intellectual rigor. While designed for high school students, it is also perfectly suited to introductory courses for community-based organizations.”
– Jennifer Wolch, Professor of Geography and Planning and Director of the Center for Sustainable Cities, University of Southern California
Funders
Ashoka
Educational Foundation of America
Partners
Peggy Chamness, Illinois Sustainable Educational Project (ISTEP)
Brett Ivers, Illinois Sustainable Educational Project (ISTEP)
Deborah Perryman, Elgin High School, Elgin IL
