Community-based Education to Bring Research Down to Earth: A Concept Paper

Keywords: Geography education, research, youth engagement, community development, outreach, holistic education, primary education, secondary education, service learning, community service, preparedness, sustainability, resilience, nature, environmental monitoring, recruiting, recruitment, geography majors, community geography, applied geography, indigenous knowledge, indigenous communities, marginalized communities, marginalized students, minorities, global awareness, environmental awareness
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Tuesday
Session Start / End Time: 3/1/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 3/1/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 13

Abstract

Community-based Education (Cb-E) used in primary and secondary schools to include local youth in local research projects and implementation programs. This addresses several issues confronting geographers:
1) It improves the understanding and perception of geography. This can pave the way for interest in majoring in geography.
2) It demonstrates the role of geography in holistic education to facilitate learning of all life, physical, and social sciences. It gives “undecided majors” insights to consider geography as the ideal liberal arts major because it keeps the door open to further study in other fields.
3) C-bE methods supplement classroom lessons using familiar local examples to students in lieu of textbook problem sets.
4) It connects people with Nature by creating lessons as outdoor community-service projects. Coordinated with researchers, the lessons involve students in data collection, field mapping, record-keeping, etc. This has little to no impact on local school budgets and staffing.
5) Priority should be aimed at schools serving disadvantaged or marginalized youth (with outreach to indigenous students) to include local indigenous knowledge research). Integrate formal education with informal local knowledge and indigenous oral traditions adds to the research knowledge and skills.
6) It makes youth actively contributing members in community development, preparedness, sustainability, and resilience.
7) Empowering youth to learn and act locally with a keen awareness of global environmental connections.