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Place-based education, sometimes called pedagogy of place, place-based learning, experiential education, community-based education, environmental education or more rarely, service learning, is an educational philosophy. The term was coined in the early 1990s by Laurie Lane-Zucker of The Orion Society and Dr. John Elder of Middlebury College. Orion's early work in the area of place-based education was funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Although educators have used its principles for some time, the approach was developed initially by The Orion Society, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization, as well as Professor David Sobel, Project Director at Antioch University New England.
Place-based education seeks to help communities through employing students and school staff in solving community problems. Place-based education differs from conventional text and classroom-based education in that it understands students' local community as one of the primary resources for learning. Thus, place-based education promotes learning that is rooted in what is local—the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature, and art of a particular place—that is, in students' own "place" or immediate schoolyard, neighborhood, town or community. According to this pedagogy, grade school students often lose what place-based educators call their "sense of place" through focusing too quickly or exclusively on national or global issues. This is not to say that international and domestic issues are peripheral to place-based education, but that students should first have a grounding in the history, culture and ecology of their surrounding environment before moving on to broader subjects.
Place-based education is often interdisciplinary. It aligns with several popular pedagogies, including thematic, hands-on, or project-based learning. Place-based curriculum begins with topics or issues from the local community.
History
In his introduction to the first book specifically focused on the pedagogy, [Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities (ISBN 978-0913098547), Laurie Lane-Zucker describes the context within which place-based education was developed,
In an increasingly globalized world, there are often pressures for communities and regions to subordinate themselves to the dominant economic models and to devalue their local cultural identity, traditions and history in preference to a flashily marketed homogeneity. Furthermore, at a time when industrial pollution, biodiversity/habitat loss, and aquifer depletion are becoming widespread and acute, such pressures often exacerbate the problems by encouraging unsustainable patterns of consumption and land use, and by weakening familial and community relationships that are deeply tied to the local environment. A process of disintegration occurs as basic connections to the land fray and communities become less resilient and less able to deal with the dislocations that globalization and ecological deterioration bring about. A community's health—human and more-than-human—suffers.
The path to a sustainable existence must start with a fundamental reimagining of the ethical, economic, political and spiritual foundations upon which society is based, and this process needs to occur within the context of a deep local knowledge of place. The solutions to many of our ecological problems lie in an approach that celebrates, empowers, and nurtures the cultural, artistic, historical and spiritual resources of each local community and region, and champions their ability to bring those resources to bear on the healing of nature and community.
Schools and other educational institutions can and should play a central role in this process, but for the most part they do not. Indeed, they have often contributed to the problem by educating young people to be, in David Orr's words, 'mobile, rootless and autistic toward their places.' A significant transformation of education might begin with the effort to learn how events and processes close to home relate to regional, national, and global forces and events, leading to a new understanding of ecological stewardship and community. This, I believe, supports the propagation of an enlightened localism—a local/global dialectic that is sensitive to broader ecological and social relationships at the same time as it strengthens and deepens peoples sense of community and land.
Place-based education might be characterized as the pedagogy of community, the reintegration of the individual into her homeground and the restoration of the essential links between a person and her place. Place-based education challenges the meaning of education by asking seemingly simple questions: Where am I? What is the nature of this place? What sustains this community? It often employs a process of re-storying, whereby students are asked to respond creatively to stories of their homeground so that, in time, they are able to position themselves, imaginatively and actually, within the continuum of nature and culture in that place. They become a part of the community, rather than a passive observer of it.
Examples of Place-Based Learning
- A thematic approach can be combined with place-based learning using tourism as a theme. Students research current and historical tourism sites in their community. They analyze how sites are advertised and examine how the impressions of visitors are influenced or how stereotypes of a place are created. The impact of tourism on the environment can be examined. With this approach, learning becomes interdisciplinary, combining social studies, media literacy, language arts, and the sciences. A final project could be creating new promotional materials or volunteering to preserve historical or environmental sites.
- Examining local food using an interdisciplinary, place-based approach can create a new awareness of the unique historical and current tradition in one's community. Students can explore their own unique food traditions, local agriculture and its impact on employment or the environment, or local food deserts. Projects might include the creation of community cookbooks, events showcasing the local food traditions, school gardens, or service projects for local food banks.
- Think Global School combines place-based learning with project-based learning as part of its Changemaker Curriculum. Students live and learn in four countries per year, engaging in projects that incorporate social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors relevant to the places they visit. The projects include conversations with locals, expert guest speakers, and other members of the community.
- The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in Portland, Oregon is a place-based school that through service, integrated curriculum and experiential learning, provides opportunities for students to actively build relationships locally. Examples include on-going restoration efforts in near-by natural areas, creating exhibits for local cultural museums, and researching and proposing policy-based solutions to community problems.
- Students embarking upon a unit about the Vietnam War might interview veterans of that war, collecting their stories for a radio-spot, newspaper article or educational brochure. In this case, the use of local people to support students' learning would not only lead to greater comprehension of the Vietnam War, but also to understanding more about the history of their community and the people in it.
- Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education in Alna, Maine uses place-based education to connect children to themselves, to each other, and to their communities through studying both natural and human environments. All activities Juniper Hill's students engage in at the school are integrated into the local landscape and community.
- Bowen Island Community School on Bowen Island, British Columbia, lends itself to in-depth environmental learning experiences by joining students and members of the community together to foster real-life learning experiences, on and off the school grounds. For example, while studying government, a grade 4/5 class visited the local municipality and got to ask questions. While studying earth materials, a geologist from the community came to the school, and lead students on a beach walk to look at different rock types.
- Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, California offers several "Place-Based Learning Communities" (PBLCs) for first-year students. These communities group students by their similar majors and interests, introducing them to the local environment and ecosystems, Indigenous history, and university life through themed activities and academic mentoring. Activities include field trips, meeting faculty and guest speakers, and learning about professional life in one's chosen major or interest.
Saseenos Elementary and Sangster School, both in Sooke, British Columbia, have introduced "Nature Kindergarten" programs. The pedagogies in these schools are rooted around a deep connection to place, specifically the old-growth forest and beach that surround the school. Each morning, rain or shine, the kindergarten students are led out into the forest by two instructors. Their task is to explore, to observe, and to connect, with the environment around them. It is hoped that the students will develop a lifelong connection to nature, which will lead them in turn to become responsible and passionate stewards of the land. A strong focus on the history of Indigenous people on the land is also incorporated into the program. These nature kindergartens are modelled on the Scandinavian nature schools. This would be considered land-based education with a heavy focus on Indigenous content and perspective aligned with environmentally sustainable practices. Land-based education is different from place-based education because the latter does not focus on Indigenous content or perspectives.
See also
- Critical pedagogy of place
- Learning environment
- Learning space
References
- "Grants - Education Week". Education Week. 1996-05-29. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
- "The Nature Literacy Series". Orion Magazine. Archived from the original on 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
- Rural Education Archived September 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- "Place-based Education, Entrepreneurship and Investing for an "Impact Economy" | Your Mark On The World". Your Mark On The World. 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
- Resor, Cynthia (2017). Exploring Vacation and Etiquette Themes in Social Studies: Primary Source Inquiry for Middle and High School. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4758-3198-6.
- Resor, Cynthia (2017). Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies. Lanhan, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4758-3202-0.
- Anderson, Sarah (2017). Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education Across the Curriculum. Portland, OR: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4758-3062-0.
- "Mission and Values - Juniper Hill School". Archived from the original on 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
- "Programs and Services | Bowen Island Community School". Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- "Place-Based Learning Communities | Cal Poly Humboldt". www.humboldt.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- Elliot, Enid (2017). "Thinking outside the four walls of the classroom: A Canadian nature kindergarten". International Journal of Early Childhood. 49 (3): 375–389. doi:10.1007/s13158-017-0203-7. S2CID 148691416.
Further reading
This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Place based education news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message Place based education sometimes called pedagogy of place place based learning experiential education community based education environmental education or more rarely service learning is an educational philosophy The term was coined in the early 1990s by Laurie Lane Zucker of The Orion Society and Dr John Elder of Middlebury College Orion s early work in the area of place based education was funded by the Geraldine R Dodge Foundation Although educators have used its principles for some time the approach was developed initially by The Orion Society a Massachusetts based nonprofit organization as well as Professor David Sobel Project Director at Antioch University New England Place based education seeks to help communities through employing students and school staff in solving community problems Place based education differs from conventional text and classroom based education in that it understands students local community as one of the primary resources for learning Thus place based education promotes learning that is rooted in what is local the unique history environment culture economy literature and art of a particular place that is in students own place or immediate schoolyard neighborhood town or community According to this pedagogy grade school students often lose what place based educators call their sense of place through focusing too quickly or exclusively on national or global issues This is not to say that international and domestic issues are peripheral to place based education but that students should first have a grounding in the history culture and ecology of their surrounding environment before moving on to broader subjects Place based education is often interdisciplinary It aligns with several popular pedagogies including thematic hands on or project based learning Place based curriculum begins with topics or issues from the local community HistoryIn his introduction to the first book specifically focused on the pedagogy Place Based Education Connecting Classrooms and Communities ISBN 978 0913098547 Laurie Lane Zucker describes the context within which place based education was developed In an increasingly globalized world there are often pressures for communities and regions to subordinate themselves to the dominant economic models and to devalue their local cultural identity traditions and history in preference to a flashily marketed homogeneity Furthermore at a time when industrial pollution biodiversity habitat loss and aquifer depletion are becoming widespread and acute such pressures often exacerbate the problems by encouraging unsustainable patterns of consumption and land use and by weakening familial and community relationships that are deeply tied to the local environment A process of disintegration occurs as basic connections to the land fray and communities become less resilient and less able to deal with the dislocations that globalization and ecological deterioration bring about A community s health human and more than human suffers The path to a sustainable existence must start with a fundamental reimagining of the ethical economic political and spiritual foundations upon which society is based and this process needs to occur within the context of a deep local knowledge of place The solutions to many of our ecological problems lie in an approach that celebrates empowers and nurtures the cultural artistic historical and spiritual resources of each local community and region and champions their ability to bring those resources to bear on the healing of nature and community Schools and other educational institutions can and should play a central role in this process but for the most part they do not Indeed they have often contributed to the problem by educating young people to be in David Orr s words mobile rootless and autistic toward their places A significant transformation of education might begin with the effort to learn how events and processes close to home relate to regional national and global forces and events leading to a new understanding of ecological stewardship and community This I believe supports the propagation of an enlightened localism a local global dialectic that is sensitive to broader ecological and social relationships at the same time as it strengthens and deepens peoples sense of community and land Place based education might be characterized as the pedagogy of community the reintegration of the individual into her homeground and the restoration of the essential links between a person and her place Place based education challenges the meaning of education by asking seemingly simple questions Where am I What is the nature of this place What sustains this community It often employs a process of re storying whereby students are asked to respond creatively to stories of their homeground so that in time they are able to position themselves imaginatively and actually within the continuum of nature and culture in that place They become a part of the community rather than a passive observer of it Examples of Place Based LearningA thematic approach can be combined with place based learning using tourism as a theme Students research current and historical tourism sites in their community They analyze how sites are advertised and examine how the impressions of visitors are influenced or how stereotypes of a place are created The impact of tourism on the environment can be examined With this approach learning becomes interdisciplinary combining social studies media literacy language arts and the sciences A final project could be creating new promotional materials or volunteering to preserve historical or environmental sites Examining local food using an interdisciplinary place based approach can create a new awareness of the unique historical and current tradition in one s community Students can explore their own unique food traditions local agriculture and its impact on employment or the environment or local food deserts Projects might include the creation of community cookbooks events showcasing the local food traditions school gardens or service projects for local food banks Think Global School combines place based learning with project based learning as part of its Changemaker Curriculum Students live and learn in four countries per year engaging in projects that incorporate social cultural economic and environmental factors relevant to the places they visit The projects include conversations with locals expert guest speakers and other members of the community The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in Portland Oregon is a place based school that through service integrated curriculum and experiential learning provides opportunities for students to actively build relationships locally Examples include on going restoration efforts in near by natural areas creating exhibits for local cultural museums and researching and proposing policy based solutions to community problems Students embarking upon a unit about the Vietnam War might interview veterans of that war collecting their stories for a radio spot newspaper article or educational brochure In this case the use of local people to support students learning would not only lead to greater comprehension of the Vietnam War but also to understanding more about the history of their community and the people in it Juniper Hill School for Place Based Education in Alna Maine uses place based education to connect children to themselves to each other and to their communities through studying both natural and human environments All activities Juniper Hill s students engage in at the school are integrated into the local landscape and community Bowen Island Community School on Bowen Island British Columbia lends itself to in depth environmental learning experiences by joining students and members of the community together to foster real life learning experiences on and off the school grounds For example while studying government a grade 4 5 class visited the local municipality and got to ask questions While studying earth materials a geologist from the community came to the school and lead students on a beach walk to look at different rock types Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata California offers several Place Based Learning Communities PBLCs for first year students These communities group students by their similar majors and interests introducing them to the local environment and ecosystems Indigenous history and university life through themed activities and academic mentoring Activities include field trips meeting faculty and guest speakers and learning about professional life in one s chosen major or interest Saseenos Elementary and Sangster School both in Sooke British Columbia have introduced Nature Kindergarten programs The pedagogies in these schools are rooted around a deep connection to place specifically the old growth forest and beach that surround the school Each morning rain or shine the kindergarten students are led out into the forest by two instructors Their task is to explore to observe and to connect with the environment around them It is hoped that the students will develop a lifelong connection to nature which will lead them in turn to become responsible and passionate stewards of the land A strong focus on the history of Indigenous people on the land is also incorporated into the program These nature kindergartens are modelled on the Scandinavian nature schools This would be considered land based education with a heavy focus on Indigenous content and perspective aligned with environmentally sustainable practices Land based education is different from place based education because the latter does not focus on Indigenous content or perspectives See alsoCritical pedagogy of place Learning environment Learning spaceReferences Grants Education Week Education Week 1996 05 29 Retrieved 2017 03 06 The Nature Literacy Series Orion Magazine Archived from the original on 2011 09 18 Retrieved 2011 09 23 Rural Education Archived September 29 2006 at the Wayback Machine Place based Education Entrepreneurship and Investing for an Impact Economy Your Mark On The World Your Mark On The World 2016 08 01 Retrieved 2017 03 06 Resor Cynthia 2017 Exploring Vacation and Etiquette Themes in Social Studies Primary Source Inquiry for Middle and High School Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 1 4758 3198 6 Resor Cynthia 2017 Investigating Family Food and Housing Themes in Social Studies Lanhan Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 1 4758 3202 0 Anderson Sarah 2017 Bringing School to Life Place based Education Across the Curriculum Portland OR Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 1 4758 3062 0 Mission and Values Juniper Hill School Archived from the original on 2015 05 28 Retrieved 2015 05 28 Programs and Services Bowen Island Community School Retrieved 2019 02 03 Place Based Learning Communities Cal Poly Humboldt www humboldt edu Retrieved 2024 11 10 Elliot Enid 2017 Thinking outside the four walls of the classroom A Canadian nature kindergarten International Journal of Early Childhood 49 3 375 389 doi 10 1007 s13158 017 0203 7 S2CID 148691416 Further readingPlace Based Education Connecting Classrooms amp Communities by David Sobel Orion Society 2004 ISBN 978 0913098547 Bringing School to Life Place based Education Across the Curriculum by Sarah K Anderson Rowman amp Littlefield Publishers 2017 ISBN 978 1 4758 3062 0
