Getting Unstuck #194: Treating Students as a Natural Resource
Speaking at the Department of Ed about environmental issues.
I try to teach the students that basically all the issues that we've had in our country, and in most other countries, come down to resources: people are after gold, people are after oil, people or after water, or after something. And sometimes it's actually human beings — slavery.
Our Guest
Jeff Rivero has been an educator at Yosemite High School for more than 25 years, teaching Current Events, U.S. History and environmental studies. He has combined environmental education with his curriculum to teach students about policies, behaviors, and decisions involving both economics and natural resources.
He also runs an after-school program called the Junior Ambassadors, which offers opportunities in composting and recycling, gardening, worm farming, social justice, and community service projects.
Jeff is the recipient of numerous awards, including ( PIAEE) Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Education, US Green Building Council at The Center for Green Schools and the Green Schools National Network, Chairperson for Yosemite High Schools Green Achiever \Green Ribbon Schools Award - the only continuation school in California to receive the honor, and The US Department of Educations Green Ribbon Schools Award. Jeff was selected by the United Nations as an Ambassador for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
For several years now, Jeff has engaged students in the United Nations Junior Ambassadors Program. This involved a variety of activities where students were able to participate and engage in meaningful efforts to impact the environment and the community. The program has delivered or rescued over 40 tons of food to date. During the pandemic, hundreds of pounds of fruits and vegetables were donated to food banks and those in economic distress. Other projects include Forest Issues: Problems and Solutions that created alternatives for the State’s Public Service announcements and forest care. Pollinator Patches, where a collaboration of students of all age groups are working on support from schools, businesses, and municipalities to create patches of flowerbeds with indigenous plants to help feed and care for pollinators throughout the year. Students engaged in the “17 and Me Show” which promotes the UN’s blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future. This creative approach was designed to record celebrities on a virtual Zoom talk show which showcases activities aimed at satisfying the 17 Goals. Guests on the 20-minute Q&A show share their passions and projects. The Junior Ambassador’s capstone project for the 2021-22 School Year is the creation of “Green That School”, where the California Green Ribbon Schools approach will help a school in Kenya to become more environmentally friendly in energy, waste, food production, and mental health.
Jeff engages his students in socially responsible thinking inside and outside of class. Here, a couple of students support a special skateboard-building project. As Jeff explain: “The students built skateboards from scratch to help raise awareness and funds for Skateistan, Oliver Percovich's school around the world in war-torn or impoverished countries. Each student in the club this year knows how bad it was for the pullout in Afghanistan as there were 3 schools there. Oliver zoomed with our class 3 times and he really enjoyed the conversions with the students. Got'ta admit we enjoyed them just as much. A real-world experience the students will never forget.”
Listen for
√ How Jeff motivates his students…and how they motivate him.
√ Why Jeff has a passion for “green,” and how he helps his students get involved.
√ How Jeff learns as much from his students as they learn from him.
√ How Jeff measures student progress.
√ What Jeff means by “flipping the mirror.”
√ Why we need to take better care of our forests.
Connect with Jeff
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