I am excited about the opportunity to provide teachers with professional development opportunities through our participation in the Future Friendly Schools Program. About a year ago, I was introduced to Michael Furdyk through the Tri-Association’s Educator’s Conference, since then, we have been working closely with him to develop the Future Friendly model for schools. This program is based on encouraging schools to develop students 21st Century Skills through the content and curriculum offered in the classroom. The goal is to connect students to other schools and students around the world to bring about change. FFS provides professional development in their three areas of focus:
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| Environmental Stewardship | Global Awareness | Student Voice. |
Reading his initial program overview inspired me to dream about what school could be like if the learning experiences we engage students in revolved around being active problem-solvers within their community and beyond. Our Social Studies curriculum has laid the foundation as students start small in early elementary exploring the elements of their community. Over time, we ask them to grow their perspectives to their city, then their state, their country and soon enough they are learning about what it means to be a part of the global community. What if we asked students to also explore the problems faced at the various levels of a community they are exploring and then ask them to seek solutions to those problems. We have millions of “idea engines” sitting in desks in schools. This could be a tremendous way of creating a positive change in our world while providing students with the real-world learning they deserve and will learn best from.
