Eco Literacy Project
"Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions. We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. This idea helps the mind of the child to become fixed, to stop wandering in an aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied, having found the universal centre of himself with all things"
Maria Montessori
'Chart of Interdependency' by Mario M. Montessori is a graphic image of the unity of the organic/living and inorganic/non-living agents of creation. Montessori named this cosmic organization.
In today's world, this chart represents Ecoliteracy. Ecology from the Greek word aikas ("household") is the study of the relationships that interlink all members of the Earth Household. Being literate or "ecoliterate" means understanding the principles of organization of ecological communities or ecosystems and using those principles for creating sustainable human communities. The principles of ecology become the guiding principles for creating sustainable learning communities.
Our Goal
Our goal is to bring Montessori's vision of healthy learning from the indoor to the outdoor classroom at Oak Farm. To transform the curriculum focus from the children's minds into their hands and lives through gardens and recycling, nature studies and stewardship projects.
Our hot lunch program was one of our first Ecoliteracy Initiatives. Another was to invite Nola Katinsky to consult with Oak Farm Montessori and develop a model and plan for us as a Sustainable Community. Nola has contacted all of our teachers for input and has incorporated their ideas into her thinking.
In today's world, Montessori's vision of renewable cycles and the interdependency of life is called "sustainability".
Looking at the big picture of sustainability, we can divide it into following categories:
