Higher Education the Critical Role

Higher Education

The Critical Role of Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable Future

6/6 MLA Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable Future

Working thesis statement, Description of Audience,

Annotated Bibliography

The purpose of this paper is to argue for a specific action the college community must undertake to enable higher education to participate in the creation of a sustainable future. For a sustainable future to exist, people must first learn how to "govern society, and to achieve the health, peace, security, social equity and stability" needed to survive. To achieve this, a change must be made at the High School level, so students have an opportunity to learn what actions are necessary to sustain society, and gather what skills they must to participate in the development of a sustainable society. High school students should learn what their impact on the Earth is, where products and services come from and what the consequences of their actions are so they can grow into adults that knowingly and willingly take action to correct the wrongs of society past and create a sustainable future, one where the world is capable of sustaining itself by protecting the valuable natural resources that exist.

For high school students to realize thief full potential "personally and socially" they must first learn what changes they can make to create a more sustainable future. Policy-makers that work within the educational arena must develop a formal educational system that creates a curriculum for high school students that reflects the need for a just and sustainable world. They will do this by hiring an intellectual staff well-versed in sustainable living, and by requiring all students each year from grades 9-12 contribute to the well-being of the earth and their personal wellness by participating in one educational class per semester that focuses on sustainability in a field that is interesting to the student. Students in their 12th year must prove they have the knowledge then, to help participate and take action within their communities to achieve the goal of sustainable living by participating in an "internship" within the community. They must agree to volunteer for one semester with an organization that is currently working to create a sustainable future, whether that organization focuses on sustainable agriculture, technology, architecture or other subjects deemed appropriate by the University administrators.

To achieve this goal, policy-makers must agree to rework the curriculum for all students in high school. The criteria for graduation must change; a 3.0 average will not be the requirement for graduation, rather students must demonstrate in a final capstone project what, during their high school term, they learned and what actions they plan to take in the future that will help their community become more active in efforts to promote sustainable living. This will require a transformation of the current curriculum and policies that govern the criteria for graduation. No longer will teachers rely on standardized tests to assess student knowledge; this will instead be demonstrated through action by students. The educational "system" will shift so that it is one that collaborates and cooperates with people and other organizational "systems" currently in place attempting to change the face of this world. Rather than focus on academic challenge, professionals will be required to spend time assisting students in their learning so they know how they can participate in activities that will change life, living and the future for them and future generations (Cortese, 2003). They will demonstrate how well they understand their "individual success" is not dependent on grades or their ability to memorize complex equations, but rather their ability to contribute to the "health and well-being of communities, cultures, and the life support system" (Cortese, 2003). In doing so they prepare themselves to assist in efforts aimed at "improving local and regional communities so they are healthier, more socially vibrant and stable, economically secure and environmentally stable (Cortese, 2003). The students will develop real world skills they can apply to their community.