On May 2, 2016, I had the privilege of delivering a keynote lecture and workshop on the history of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and integrating ESD projects into the curriculum to twenty K-12 teachers from Japan and the U.S. who were participating in Fulbright Japan and the Institute for International Education's teacher exchange program in San Francisco, CA.
This is the second year that I have had the honor of speaking with participants in this exchange program, which brings together an interdisciplinary and international cohort of K-12 teachers to learn about ESD and then develop joint-projects that they implement in their classrooms. The teacher exchange program kicks-off in Washington, D.C., where Japanese educators visit schools with outstanding ESD programs. They then spend two nights with host families to experience a little slice of Americana. After this, the Japanese and U.S. teachers meet in the Bay Area for their First Joint Conference, which is were I was delivering my keynote and workshop. Teachers then return to their respective countries to implement ESD projects, sharing student work with one another across classrooms and cultures. Later in June, the U.S. teachers will travel to Japan to visit schools with ESD programs and explore Japanese culture through home stays before finishing the trip with a second and final Joint Conference.
My lecture at the joint-conference was well received, and everyone was very talkative during the workshop. For me, the highlight was the rich discussion between the Japanese and U.S. teachers about the role that social and cultural values play in our educational systems. This arose when U.S. teachers were quick to talk about how some of their schools have students involved in after-school "green teams" to work on various sustainability projects, like recycling, school gardens, resource conservation, or even community-service projects. To the Japanese, though, this didn't quite make the most sense. They explained how, across Japan, students participate in various committees as part of their school day—taking on tasks like cleaning, tending gardens, or planting flowers to beautify and take care of the school—and how these in-school activities are meant to instill values around citizenship, social responsibility, and stewardship of the environment. The Japanese teachers noted how their educational approach was remarkably different from what they were hearing from the U.S. educators. One Japanese teacher asked, "We start with the values that we want our youth to have and then educate from there, but it does not seem like this happens in America?"
Photo: Katie Zee, Institute for International Education
A robust discussion took place about the role that each state play in the U.S.'s decentralized educational system, the different social values that manifest around the U.S., and a fundamental tension that seems to exist in the American identity between the rights of the individual and their role as a member of the larger collective. It was really insightful to hear from all the participants and, while it was a relatively short engagement, I appreciated the opportunity to increase own my understanding of Japanese culture and ESD in Japan.
The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD exemplifies the Fulbright mission by strengthening ties between the U.S. and Japan, increasing mutual understanding between our peoples, and promoting international opportunities for cooperation toward education and cultural advancement. I would strongly encourage any U.S. K-12 educators interested in sustainability or environmental education apply to this program, and hope to be invited back to lecture and lead a workshop again next year.
- Jacob Sherman