Best of ESD: Learning to Care for Our Community Environments, with Dr. Ethan Lowenstein (Eastern Michigan University & Southest Michigan Stewardship Coalition)

How can we help young people learn to care for their local communities and their natural environments?  Ethan Lowenstein believes that a big part of the answer is place-based education - a method that enables youth to explore, analyze, and begin to address local challenges.  Lowenstein is a professor at Eastern Michigan University and the director of the Southeast Michigan Stewardship (SEMIS) Coalition, which has built a broad network of educators and local organizations to foster place-based education in Michigan and beyond. In this "Best of ESD" episode, first published in 2021, Lowenstein tells Brett about how the principles of place-based education have driven the SEMIS Coalition's sustained success, growth, and sense of community.

Resources Related to SEMIS:

Southeast Michigan Stewardship (SEMIS) Coalition  Site

Article about Ethan Lowenstein

SEMIS in the News

SEMIS Coalition Facebook Page


More on Related Topics:

Place-Based Education Videos, by Edutopia

Brett Levy's Paper on "Civic Science Education"

Brett Levy's Paper on Environmental Political Participation

Brett Levy's Other Open-Access Research Articles

Place-Based Teacher Preparation Program at Eastern Michigan University


ESD Resources:

ESD Episode on Mikva Challenge (mentioned by Ethan)

Education for Sustainable Democracy Homepage

Education for Sustainable Democracy Facebook Page

ESD YouTube Channel (Please subscribe!)