No matter the program or topic, the context or curriculum, relationships matter in education.

Educators know this. We know that the creation of positive relationships amongst all members of the school community is a foundation for student success.

We know, too, that love of learning stems from students’ forming emotional connections with knowledge; relationships born of wonder inspire and spur further learning.

In Place-Based Education (PBE), the importance of relationships is taken to a whole new level. The relationships we strive to develop now centrally include the natural world. If we hope to cultivate students’ ecological understanding—an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things and a sense of care/concern for the natural world—then relationships between students and the natural world, and between students’ and the knowledge of the curriculum, must be emotionally and imaginatively rich.

On Richness & Relationship

A defining feature of PBE is richness; practices are diverse. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to PBE; there simply can’t be.

Continue reading this article here. (Originally published by gettingsmart.com)