Focus on Place-Based Education
Education and engagement are indispensable parts of a place-building strategy. Harbinger takes a collaborative approach to developing interdisciplinary, place-based curriculum materials and education programs, working side-by-side with educators, community groups, science and conservation leaders, nonprofits, local governments, businesses and other partners.
“The more clearly we focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
“We are surrounded by places. We walk over and through them. We live in places, relate to others in them, die in them. Nothing we do is unplaced. How could it be otherwise?”
five examples of harbinger education projects
Ho’ike o haleakala high school science curriculum
Harbinger guided a collaboration among Maui (Hawai‘i) teachers, field biologists, cultural leaders and natural resource experts to develop, test and produce a multi-disciplinary, science-based curriculum designed to help sustain the native Hawaiian landscape and heritage by connecting students to the land and the culture it supports. Published in 1996, the curriculum is still in use today, with new modules and activities still being added!
healthy water, healthy habits, healthy people
In conjunction with educators and water experts in East Africa, Project WET and the United States Agency for International Development, Harbinger developed hands-on activities that grounded the Healthy Water, Healthy Habits, Healthy People water, sanitation and hygiene curriculum aimed at reducing the spread of preventable, water-borne diseases. These materials have been translated and adapted for use across Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Latin America and the Caribbean, and are available through Project WET’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program.
Environmental issues forums
Harbinger has been involved in the Environmental Issues Forums, a collaboration of the North American Association for Environmental Education and the Kettering Foundation, from its earliest days. EIF provides tools, training, and support for engaging adults and students in meaningful, productive discussions about sticky issues that affect the environment and communities. Harbinger edited the Climate Choices issue discussion guide and worked with five teams of community and environmental educators to develop local water issue discussion guides, organize forums, and produce Let’s Talk About Water to help other communities deliberate about their own water issues.
environmental education community engagement guidelines
Harbinger has contributed to several of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education’s guidelines documents for professional practice. The most recent, Guidelines for Excellence: Community Engagement, focuses on helping environmental educators create inclusive partnerships and collaborations for community initiatives focused on creating healthier communities for all, with ecological integrity, shared prosperity, and social equity as core goals. Harbinger was part of the writing team for this project.
Facilitated & action-led learning
Harbinger develops and delivers virtual and in-person courses, workshops, webinars, action projects and facilitator training.
Hands-on curriculum activities for school-based and nonformal educators
Harbinger has developed educational activities for Project WET, WET in the City, Project WILD, Flying WILD and other public, private and collaborative environmental and civic education projects.