Abstract
The Sustainable Farm School in Connecticut (SFS) is an independent school for children 3–18 years old that draws in part from the pedagogical framework and philosophy used in Waldorf schools around the world, while aiming for transformative learning. Transformative learning is at the foundation for the creation of sustainability in nature-human communities. Transformative learning occurs at the nexus of peace (as a result of social justice and ecojustice), deeper levels of imagination (as a result of broadening one’s thinking with possibilities and multiple perspectives), and reciprocity (as a result of strengthening our ties with the Earth and aiming for sustainability) (Love 2011). SFS advances the traditional Waldorf model by incorporating ecojustice theory as an equally important framework because of how the teaching and learning intersects with culture and ecology in a current world context. SFS’s mission is to provide an educational experience that helps students become community members who critically examine local and global practices that compromise social, cultural, and ecological sustainability, as well as developing the knowledge and skills to be able to creatively produce and support sustainability. The aim of all programs and courses is to help students develop deep relationships with nature and to understand and be able to develop practices of ecological, social, and cultural sustainability. The curriculum for each program and course is rooted in our connections to the Earth. As the conceptual basis for the Farm School, this chapter demonstrates how the aforementioned relationships can be accessed through (a) meaningful play; (b) storytelling; (c) art that connects us with nature, to each other, and to our inner spirits; (d) feminist philosophy with a global perspective; (e) a critical examination of history; (f) a multicultural approach to understanding nature that questions human-over-nature perspectives; (g) food preparation that explores food politics and food growing practices; and, (h) holistic health and wellness. Let’s begin with a brief history of Waldorf philosophy and education.
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Love, K.A., King, A., Love, K.L., Gill, K. (2015). The Sustainable Farm School—Waldorf Philosophy and EcoJustice Theory in Aesthetic Contexts. In: Mueller, M., Tippins, D. (eds) EcoJustice, Citizen Science and Youth Activism. Environmental Discourses in Science Education, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11608-2_5
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