CELF  Professional  Learning  in  

                      Education  for  Sustainability  

What  attributes  and  values  should  Earth  Citizens  demonstrate  

to  create  an  ecologically  sustainable  and  equitable  society?  
 
Wellbeing   Attributes   Values  
     
Good  health   Flexible  thinker  –  Adaptable   Balance  of  focus  between  
self  and  others  
Happiness   Curious  
Values  the  commons  
Sense  of  meaning-­‐purpose   Innovative  
Interconnectedness-­‐sees  
Sense  of  belonging   Creative  
him/herself  as  part  of  the  
Quality  of  life   Self-­‐directed  learner   biosphere  
Interconnected  with  one’s   Reflective  –  Self-­‐Aware   Recognizes   that   the  earth  
physical  and  social   takes  care  of  us-­‐-­‐-­‐not  the  
Considers  consequences  of  
environment   other  way  around  
actions  
Self  knowledge   Sense  of  justice  
Courage  to  be  different  
Seeks  opportunities  for   (“buck  the  trend”)   Role  as  global  citizen  is  
lifelong  learning   integrated  in  decision-­‐  
Risk  Taker  
making  
Gets  outdoors/nature  
Authentic  
Respects  rights  and  
Sense  of  safety  
Generous   responsibilities  of  all  
Access  to  whole  foods,  
Empathetic   Capacity  to  reflect  on  and  
shelter,  clothing,  fresh  
change  values,  beliefs,  and  
water,  and  clean  air   Responsible  
ethical  principles.  
Opportunities  for  music,  art,   Collaborative  
theater,  dance,  and  
Insightful  
movement  
Perceptive  
Appreciates  diverse  world  views  

 
*Information  adapted  from  the  New  South  Wales  Department  of  Education  and  Training:   Earth  
Citizenship—A  conceptual  framework  for  learning  for  sustainability.  Draft  working  paper,  30  October  
2009.   http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/env_ed/assets/pdf/earth_citizen.pdf  

  Children’s  Environmental  Literacy  Foundation  ·∙  PO  Box  412  ·∙  Chappaqua,  NY  ·∙  10514       914.238.4743  
www.celfeducation.org  
                                            CELF  Professional  Learning  in  
                      Education  for  Sustainability  

In  what  arenas  will  Earth  Citizens  need  to  act?  

What  practices  will  Earth  Citizens  need  to  develop?  
What  dimensions  of  knowledge  will  Earth  Citizens  investigate  and  apply?  
 
Actions   Practices   Knowledge  for  Sustainability  
• Local   • World  viewing  and  valuing   • Ecological  systems  and  processes  
• National   • Systems  thinking   • Social  systems  and  technologies  
• Global   • Futures  thinking  and  design   • Sustainable  economics  

Community   Seeks  to  protect  the   Ecology,  Biosphere,  knowledge  of  

future/prevent  damage   ecosystem  functions,  major  
  biosphere  processes  and  
involvement  Models     interactions  over  various  scales  of  
Takes  perspective  of  the   space  and  time  
biosphere  into  account    
sustainability  Change      
  Economics,  urban  planning,  
Seeks  to  understand  others   engineering  and  cultural  studies  
agent  Adaptability   envisions  alternatives  and    
preferred  future    
  Probability  and  risk  assessment  
Active  citizenship      
(recognize  and  take   Investigates  and  prioritizes    
responsibility  for  broader   solutions   Understand  
societal  change)     interconnections  
    between  themselves  and  
  Identifies  and  consults   their  communities  
Capacity  to  visualize  and   with  stakeholders  
choose  among  alternative    
futures,  as  well  as     Systems  thinking  and  
designing,  implementing,   Designs  and  implements  
and  evaluating  for  their   solutions  
realization     modeling  Comfortable  with  
  uncertainty  
Works  from  big  to  small    
picture    
  Capacity  to  distinguish  
Makes  connections  to  other   between  what  should  
issues,  projects  and   and  should  not  be  
programs   changed  and  what  can  
and  cannot  be  changed  

  Children’s  Environmental  Literacy  Foundation  ·∙  PO  Box  412  ·∙  Chappaqua,  NY  ·∙  10514       914.238.4743  
www.celfeducation.org  
                                            CELF  Professional  Learning  in  
                      Education  for  Sustainability  

Actions   Practices   Knowledge  for  Sustainability  

• Local   • World  viewing  and  valuing   • Ecological  systems  and  processes  
• National   • Systems  thinking   • Social  systems  and  technologies  
• Global   • Futures  thinking  and  design   • Sustainable  economics  
  Investigates  using  available   Ecosystems:  how  to  determine  their  
technology   state,  whether  they  are  healthy  or  
functioning  as  intended  or  not,  and  how  
this  is  changing  over  time  
Considers  environmental  
impacts  and  cost/benefits  of  
possible  actions   What  are  the  boundaries  or  relevant  
scale  for  analysis  and  decision-­‐making  
are  for  issues  
Develops,  monitors  and  
evaluates  implementation  
plans   Various  technical  expertise  

Develop  expertise  for   Key  ecological  questions:  What  am  I?  

investigation,  design  and   What  is  life?  How  has  it  evolved  on  
implementation   Earth?  What  are  the  conditions  for  life  on  
Earth?  What  is  an  ecosystem?  What  is  
the  present  state  of  the  biosphere  and  
Withholds  judgment  until   how  is  this  related  to  the  state  of  our  
hearing  all  viewpoints  and   local  environment?  
considers  the  relevant  
evidence  
Key  social  systems  questions:  Who  am  I?  
What  is  my  community?  What  are  my  
Ability  to  take  notes,  develop   needs  and  wants?  How  are  these  needs  
mind  maps  and  negotiate   dependent  on  the  conditions  for  life  
consensus  on  the  outcomes   created  by  the  biosphere?  What  are  the  
of  a  meeting/  able  to  reach   effects  of  our  production  and  
mutual  agreements   consumption  on  our  local  ecosystems  
and  the  biosphere  generally?  Are  there  
limits?  What  is  my  eco-­‐footprint,  carbon  
Transparent,  collaborative,  and   cloud?  Is  this  fair?  What  can  I/we  do  
rational/emotional  decision-­‐   about  all  of  this?  
making  

  Children’s  Environmental  Literacy  Foundation  ·∙  PO  Box  412  ·∙  Chappaqua,  NY  ·∙  10514       914.238.4743  
www.celfeducation.org