All Things Considered (ATC) Education
All Things Considered (ATC) Education
Because our behaviors and beliefs result from what we’re taught, a cornerstone of iC will be restructuring education about iC goals.
Proper education is the key to sustained and long term change. A key pillar of iC is to teach students more holistic and meaningful life tools in order to build more sensible, independent, and able-minded citizens. Thus iC will shift the emphasis of education from its current history/math/science-only bias to more holistic programs equally emphasizing the arts, nature, sustainability, holistic thinking, etc.
The core of education will seek a balance between the needs of getting on the business of life (history/math/science) and the need to develop a wider, more holistic, and sensible mindset including more emphasis on the enduring programs of art, nature, sustainability, holistic thinking, etc.
The goal will be to instill a greater sense of how the world works, how everything is interconnected, and our actions impact everything else.
Curriculums will be developed to support these goals which will then be incrementally implemented over the course of 1-2 generations.
Natural science studies will become the new core of education. Grade school curriculums will continue to teach basics such as reading, writing, and arithmetic but will increasingly emphasize our connectivity with, and a deep respect for the natural world. Art, natural science, and man’s deep interdependence on nature will become one of education’s prime pillars. Science will also focus on sustainable technologies.
Another key theme will be getting students back in touch with what’s real, meaningful, and essential. Students will actively plan and implement activities related to our interaction and effects on the world. Students will plant and raise food, maintain an ecosystems and rainforest within the school boundaries, and study books of nature, holism, and technology related to sustainability.
Subjects on holism and “cause and effect” studies will teach the true costs of our actions and consumption.
Junior high school and high school will extend this foundation to the next natural level.
- Science will be focus on ecosystems, sustainability, recycling, and frugal living.
- Competitions will emphasize habits and technologies to save resources.
- Art, music, and literature will be recognized in their rightful place as the most valuable of human achievements.
- Quality of living and natural healing and medicines shall be taught.
- The virtues of compassion, kindness, respect, wisdom, responsibility, and knowledge will be cornerstones of education (as well as highlighted as history’s true heroes).
- Holistic studies will be a key element of teachings showing how everything is interconnected and how the combination of ‘lots of little actions’ can have huge consequences.
Competition based schemes and sports shall be relegated to lesser importance replaced by admiration of the attributes consistent with virtue, service, and wisdom.
A 12-24 month national service program shall be implemented for 17-18 year olds to build a sense of social and worldly responsibility. Research, in-situ living and learning, and community service shall be its cornerstones. A key element of the program will require youth to live in natural settings to reestablish a direct connection with nature.
Such in-situ type activities will include restoring a forest, an ecosystem, or coral reef. Working on a farm or ranch will be another potential activity and will widen youth’s perspective and ability to empathize with the nature. Yet another aspect will include rebuilding communities, learning of alternate medicines, teaching youth, being camp counselors, etc.
Proposed curriculums will be developed within 2025.
If you are interested in assisting to develop these programs, please contact Greg with some of your initial ideas and/or sample works.
Here is a proposed curriculum for 9th-graders based on the themes of providing more holistic education in terms of sustainability, the arts, and teaching the interconnectedness of all things. The curriculum would also include basic elements such as reading, writing, and arithmetics. From below, the curriculums for all other grades would be developed.
1. Natural Science and Ecology
– Course Focus:
– Study of
ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation efforts.
– Introduction to
sustainability, recycling practices, and frugal living.
– Hands-on
activities: Students will manage small-scale ecosystems and participate in food
growing projects within the school.
– Key Skills:
Understanding interdependence in nature, resource management, and sustainable
technology.
– Course Focus:
– Exploration of
sustainable technologies such as renewable energy sources (solar, wind), water
conservation, and waste reduction techniques.
– Students will
engage in competitions related to innovation in sustainability.
– Key Skills:
Problem-solving, innovation in green technology, and eco-friendly design
thinking.
– Course Focus:
– Study of
interconnected systems in nature and society, emphasizing “cause and
effect” and the true costs of consumption.
– Exploration of how
individual actions can have global consequences.
– Key Skills:
Systems thinking, critical analysis of environmental impacts, and ethical
decision-making.
– Course Focus:
– Study of art,
music, and literature as key human achievements that reflect deep connections
to nature and culture.
– Emphasis on how
the arts have shaped society’s understanding of the natural world.
– Key Skills:
Creativity, cultural appreciation, and expression through various art forms.
– Course Focus:
– Introduction to
natural healing practices, holistic medicine, and alternative therapies.
– Study of healthy
living, nutrition, and mindfulness practices.
– Key Skills:
Well-being strategies, understanding holistic health, and personal health
responsibility.
– Course Focus:
– Study of
historical and contemporary figures who exemplify compassion, wisdom,
responsibility, and service.
– Analysis of how
virtues like kindness and respect are central to creating a balanced and just
society.
– Key Skills:
Leadership, ethical thinking, and empathy.
– Course Focus:
– Introduction to
alternative economic models that prioritize sustainability and resource equity.
– Study of how
societies can thrive through local economies, sharing, and frugality rather
than continuous growth and consumption.
– Key Skills:
Economic literacy, understanding sustainable development, and resource
allocation.
– Course Focus:
– Students will
design and participate in community service projects, such as restoring local
environments or engaging in recycling campaigns.
– Development of
leadership skills and a sense of social responsibility.
– Key Skills: Civic
responsibility, teamwork, and project management.
– Course Focus:
– Emphasis on
outdoor physical activities such as hiking, camping, and nature sports rather
than traditional competitive sports.
– Activities that
foster a direct connection with nature and physical well-being.
– Key Skills:
Physical health, environmental appreciation, and teamwork.
– Course Focus:
– Practical skills
in gardening, composting, simple carpentry, and resource management.
– Lessons in
preparing healthy meals from locally grown produce, managing household
sustainability efforts, and reducing personal waste.
– Key Skills:
Independence, practical knowledge, and sustainable living.
– Course Focus:
– Preparation for a
12-24 month national service program at age 17-18. Students will learn about
potential service projects such as restoring natural environments, working on
farms, or community rebuilding.
– Key Skills:
Service orientation, environmental empathy, and leadership in action.