At Earth Care we use a core process in all our programs that enables youth to identify their passion and direct it to significantly contribute to the sustainability of their community. Our educators and youth workers follow this process to integrate service-learning and youth-led community organizing into learning experiences and project work in and out of the classroom.
- Personal Cause: Exploration of what I am interested in, what I am passionate about; my uniqueness, gifts & talents, my culture
- Inquiry into Culture & Sustainability: Building sustainability-literacy and cultural competency in a way that challenges assumptions, beliefs, worldview through observations, dialog, inquiry
- Community Study: community needs; integrated assessment (social, economic, cultural, ecological); story of place; visioning
- Reflection & Integration: Reflection and connection on the relevance of sustainability and community study to personal cause, and implications for changes in personal cause
- Solution & Project Visioning: Planning, design, articulating project for how to act with most impact on personal cause/community
- Community Change Project: Research, organizing (i.e. gathering resources & stakeholders), implementing meaningful service or entrepreneurship projects
- Reflection, Demonstration, Celebration: Integrating and sharing learnings about sustainability, culture, personal interest with peers, community leaders and others in the community