Other young people have shown extensively that they are in a position to act in the fight for social change, but are we giving them the equipment to do so?
Climate replacement is an integral component of the Quebec curriculum, with the exception of the optional elegance of environmental science and Grade 10 generation. Even then, its component is mandatory. In other disciplines, teachers may complement their educational content, but resources remain inadequate given the unprecedented cave scientists expect over the next decade.
Art teachers have begun working in collaboration with artists and organizations such as the Monique-Fitz-Back Foundation and Equiterre to create eco-art projects dating between people and the environment. These collaborative projects aim to provide a systemic understanding of environmental problems through the linking of disciplines and the creation of a holistic approach. More importantly, these projects give hope to other young people in the long run and can motivate them to become leaders in their communities.
A Canadian project, The Still Creek in Renfrew Ravine, initiated by artist Carmen Rosen, has rehabilitated a natural habitat where one of the last streams in the city of Vancouver is open to the air. With the participation of 200 volunteers, schools and organizations, an abandoned and polluted site was transformed into a preserved sanctuary where people can have fun, observe the beauty of nature and even see the return of Keta salmon. High school students helped design the landscaping, which features native plants and trees, a maze and a mosaic path. They also created ephemeral works and performances allowing reflection on the protection of water and its ecosystem.
If many of us have a hard time responding to scientific data, it could be because we feel disconnected to the reality that is catching up on us. The arts can be transformative, allowing us to make emotional connections to the place where we live using our senses and aesthetic sensibility, and prompting us to build a stronger sense of community through the sharing of our common values.
Other young people want concrete examples of what they can do to replace the present. They will need to be guided in their decision-making and movements in order to gain confidence to achieve their goals separately and collectively. On the other hand, teachers want more help to be able to plan and organize eco-art projects that require collaborative work. Their schedules do not allow time for meetings with partners and teachers outside their disciplines or to make documents for funding.
Our governments put in place new policies to allow every young user to delight in the global outdoor classroom as an essential component of non-public learning and development, and recognize the role of the arts in solving the social and demanding cultural situations facing today’s world.
Isabelle Guillard is a doctoral candidate in art education at Concordia University, a Concordia Public Scholar, and a high school art teacher.
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