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Student Testimonials
(of The 21st Century Schoolhouse & Environmental Issues course)

"I feel like for the first time I am really an active participant in my education. When the information is presented in this hands-on, multi-sensory approach, I can grasp and retain what I have learned. Too often I sit through classes, study for the final and pull my 3.5 grade point average. Underneath it all though I do not feel smart. I do not know what I have just learned. In Environmental Issues it is different. And because of this difference I am now different."

"I never imagined I would be so lucky to room with a girl from Israel, dance with South Africans, listen to Australian lingo, sing with Brazilians, or laugh with Japanese girls. I gained many pen pals and even more unforgettable friendships. Learning about other cultures was not only informative, but also fascinating. These amazing experiences became a part of my life only because of the International Youth Environmental Summit. It truly was amazing."

"I have learned many valuable things about myself as well as the earth I live on. I have a new appreciation for this place I call planet earth. I now understand the delicate balance that all of us who inhabit this earth must maintain. From the aquatic biomes to our politicians in Washington, D.C., we are all connected. I have come to understand how decisions made by our forefathers directly effect the quality of life I now lead. More importantly I have come to understand that the decisions my generation makes will directly affect the quality of life for future generations. I also see how involving myself in what may seem like a lost cause may in the end make a difference. And if the outcome is not what I expected or even hoped for, the work I did along the way added value to my life."

"Environmental Issues and The 21st Century Schoolhouse is a great class/program because of the way it makes you think. You take many different aspects of the world and relate them to the environment. I like the class because the students get to make choices and the teachers let us have some control."

"Environmental Issues has had a really good influence on my life. It is the kind of class that makes me want to go to school and motivates me to learn. The thing that makes this class good is the teachers, and I truly do look up to them."

"The integration of consumer economics, American government, and environmental science helps us get a more in-depth approach to what we are studying."

"I not only like the fact we learn about the environment, but that we learn more about our ourselves too."

"In the past year I did more than scrapbooks, debates, lessons, community service, and other projects like the museum, or even the island projects. I was involved in everything. We came up with ideas, solutions, and planned things ourselves. I think getting involved and making things happen yourself was the most important lesson I learned."

"In this class I learned a lot about the condition of the environment without bringing or hardly using a textbook. There were a lot of activities involving visuals and moving out of your seat. This is a non-traditional class. I learned more in this class than any other class this year."

"This class teaches social lessons that you can use down the road such as group work, communication and hard work!"

"This is one of the few classes I know I will always remember and treasure. So many lessons have been learned in these two periods, many of which I will carry with me the rest of my life. I hope the classes to come will share as many good experiences as we have."

"I've learned what it means to take action, rather than just notice things. I've learned how to care for our earth and her resources, not just think about them. I've learned how to conserve rather than just watch others do this. I've learned how to do my part instead of talking about what should be done. This class isn't just about writing papers or watching videos. It isn't just about collecting information. It's about us - us and our world. I've learned that one person can make a difference."

"This year in Environmental Issues I learned that the usually tedious subjects of consumer economics, American government and biology can be taught in a way that keeps me interested, informed and aware. I've also noticed a change in the way I think, from 'whatever's easiest' to 'whatever's best.'"

"Environmental Issues has closed the gap between me and the world and made me more aware of this earth, this provider, this globe of resources. This year in Environmental Issues I learned to take what the earth has given me, not to take what the earth needs to sustain her. I learned to give back, but above all I learned not to be greedy."

"I've learned more than I ever have in a year of school. Not only did learn about the problems in our environment and how to help solve them, but I also learned how to work together with my peers and how to be involved in government, with the class government and the thematic committees. This class has been one of the best I've ever had. I've actually found and remembered almost all the information and I feel like now I'm more prepared for my future."

"This class pushed my limits, and I did things I never knew I could. It's true that no other class is like Environmental Issues. It will be hard to go back to a more conventional schedule without some of the freedoms earned and enjoyed here. This class has taught me, like no other class has, skills not only to pass the class, but skills for life."

"In Environmental Issues, I learned many things. I learned about the nitrogen cycle, I learned about all 27 amendments to the Constitution, and I learned how important water is to civilization. But more than any one thing, I learned to see the big picture. Each individual piece of knowledge is like a puzzle piece, and how we put them together determines what kind of world we live in. And who decides how these pieces are put together? It's each individual, you and me. This year in Environmental Issues I learned that I have the power to change the world."

contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org