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Place-based education, sometimes called pedagogy of place, place-based learning,
experiential education
Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is not interchangeable with experientia ...
, community-based education,
education for sustainability,
environmental education
Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discip ...
or more rarely,
service learning
Service-learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs.
Service-learning involves students in service proje ...
, is an educational philosophy. The term wa
coined in the early 1990sby Laurie Lane-Zucker of The
Orion Society The Orion Society is a United States non-profit organization that engages environmental and cultural issues through publication of books, magazines, and educational materials, and facilitation of informational networks. It was founded in 1992 and i ...
and Dr. John Elder of Middlebury College. Orion's early work in the area of place-based education was funded by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Although educators have used its principles for some time, the approach was developed initially by The Orion Society, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization, as well as Professor
David Sobel, Project Director at
Antioch University New England
Antioch University New England is a private graduate school located in Keene, New Hampshire, United States. It is part of the Antioch University system, a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) institution that includes campuses in Seattle, Washington; ...
.
Place-based education seeks to help communities through employing students and school staff in solving community problems. Place-based education differs from conventional text and classroom-based education in that it understands students' local community as one of the primary resources for learning. Thus, place-based education promotes learning that is rooted in what is local—the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature, and art of a particular place—that is, in students' own "
place
Place may refer to:
Geography
* Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population
** Census-designated place, a populated area lacking its own municipal government
* "Place", a type of street or road name
** Often ...
" or immediate schoolyard, neighborhood, town or community. According to this pedagogy, grade school students often lose what place-based educators call their "
sense of place
The term sense of place has been used in many different ways. It is a multidimensional, complex construct used to characterize the relationship between people and spatial settings. It is a characteristic that some geographic places have and some ...
" through focusing too quickly or exclusively on national or global issues. This is not to say that international and domestic issues are peripheral to place-based education, but that students should first have a grounding in the history, culture and
ecology
Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...
of their surrounding environment before moving on to broader subjects.
Place-based education is often interdisciplinary. It aligns with several popular pedagogies, including
thematic,
hands-on, or project-based learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Students le ...
. Place-based curriculum begins with topics or issues from the local community.
History
In his introduction to the first book specifically focused on the pedagogy,
thematic_approach_can_be_combined_with_place-based_learning_using_tourism_as_a_theme._Students_research_current_and_historical_tourism_sites_in_their_community._They_analyze_how_sites_are_advertised_and_examine_how_the_impressions_of_visitors_are_influenced_or_how_stereotypes_of_a_place_are_created._The_impact_of_tourism_on_the_environment_can_be_examined._With_this_approach,_learning_becomes_interdisciplinary,_combining_social_studies,_media_literacy,_language_arts,_and_the_sciences._A_final_project_could_be_creating_new_promotional_materials_or_volunteering_to_preserve_historical_or_environmental_sites.
*_Examining_local_food_using_an_interdisciplinary,_place-based_approach_can_create_a_new_awareness_of_the_unique_historical_and_current_tradition_in_one's_community._Students_can_explore_their_own_unique_food_traditions,_local_agriculture_and_its_impact_on_employment_or_the_environment,_or_local_Food_desert.html" "title="Thematic_learning.html" ;"title="'Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms and Communities'' (), Laurie Lane-Zucker describes the context within which place-based education was developed,
Examples of Place-Based Learning
* A Thematic learning">thematic approach can be combined with place-based learning using tourism as a theme. Students research current and historical tourism sites in their community. They analyze how sites are advertised and examine how the impressions of visitors are influenced or how stereotypes of a place are created. The impact of tourism on the environment can be examined. With this approach, learning becomes interdisciplinary, combining social studies, media literacy, language arts, and the sciences. A final project could be creating new promotional materials or volunteering to preserve historical or environmental sites.
* Examining local food using an interdisciplinary, place-based approach can create a new awareness of the unique historical and current tradition in one's community. Students can explore their own unique food traditions, local agriculture and its impact on employment or the environment, or local Food desert">food deserts
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...
. Projects might include the creation of community cookbooks, events showcasing the local food traditions, school gardens, or service projects for local food banks.
*Think Global School combines place-based learning with project-based learning as part of its Changemaker Curriculum. Students live and learn in four countries per year, engaging in projects that incorporate social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors relevant to the places they visit. The projects include conversations with locals, expert guest speakers, and other members of the community.
*The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
is a place-based school that through service, integrated curriculum and experiential learning, provides opportunities for students to actively build relationships locally. Examples include on-going restoration efforts in near-by natural areas, creating exhibits for local cultural museums, and researching and proposing policy-based solutions to community problems.
* Students embarking upon a unit about the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
might interview veterans of that war, collecting their stories for a radio-spot, newspaper article or educational brochure. In this case, the use of local people to support students' learning would not only lead to greater comprehension of the Vietnam War, but also to understanding more about the history of their community and the people in it.
* Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education in
Alna, Maine uses place-based education to connect children to themselves, to each other, and to their communities through studying both natural and human environments. All activities Juniper Hill's students engage in at the school are integrated into the local landscape and community.
*
Bowen Island Community School on Bowen Island,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, lends itself to in-depth environmental learning experiences by joining students and members of the community together to foster real-life learning experiences, on and off the school grounds. For example, while studying government, a grade 4/5 class visited the local municipality and got to ask questions. While studying earth materials, a geologist from the community came to the school, and lead students on a beach walk to look at different rock types.
Saseenos Elementary and Sangster School, both in Sooke, British Columbia, have introduced "Nature Kindergarten" programs. The pedagogies in these schools are rooted around a deep connection to place, specifically the old-growth forest and beach that surround the school. Each morning, rain or shine, the kindergarten students are led out into the forest by two instructors. Their task is to explore, to observe, and to connect, with the environment around them. It is hoped that the students will develop a lifelong connection to nature, which will lead them in turn to become responsible and passionate stewards of the land. A strong focus on the history of Indigenous people on the land is also incorporated into the program. These nature kindergartens are modelled on the Scandinavian nature schools. This would be considered land-based education with a heavy focus on Indigenous content and perspective aligned with environmentally sustainable practices. Land-based education is different from place-based education because the latter does not focus on Indigenous content or perspectives.
See also
*
Critical pedagogy of place
*
Learning environment
The term learning environment can refer to an educational approach, cultural context, or physical setting in which teaching and learning occur. The term is commonly used as a more definitive alternative to "classroom", but it typically refers to ...
*
Learning space
Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical setting for a learning environment, a place in which teaching and learning occur. The term is commonly used as a more definitive alternative to "classroom," but it may also refer to a ...
References
Further reading
*''Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities'' by David Sobel, Orion Society, 2004,
*''Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education Across the Curriculum'' by Sarah K. Anderson, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017, {{ISBN, 978-1-4758-3062-0
Alternative education
Critical pedagogy
Environmental education