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Professor Carola S. Pedreschi

Social Sciences Department

North Campus - Miami Dade College

Cultivating Transformational Communities of Engagement and Prosperity

Global Sustainability and Earth Literacy Studies (GSELS) –

Mission

The Global Sustainability and Earth Literacy Studies (GSELS) Learning Network provides

inclusive educational opportunities for the Miami Dade College community to explore global

citizenship, ecological sustainability, and civic engagement, through understanding planetary

challenges and limits and by developing values, skills, and behaviors that promote prosperity and

communities of well-being. In addition, the GSELS project is replicable, requires very little

funding, and hopes to serve as a national model of best practices.

Course Objectives for GSELS Designation

1. 1 - Explain the principles and ethical implications of the Earth Charter.

2 - Describe the roles of personal and social responsibility in protecting Earth’s abundance and

beauty for future generations.

2. 5 - Explain how cultural diversity, tolerance, compassion, nonviolence and peace contribute to

global sustainability.

3. 7 - Examine situations and issues from a systemic perspective.

4. 14 - Compare and contrast human actions and attitudes toward the community of life and their

impact on global well-being.

20 - Display personal and social responsibility toward achieving global sustainability through

service learning/civic engagement.

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Miami Dade College Supported Learning Outcomes:

1 -Communicate effectively using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

3-Solve problems using critical and creative thinking and scientific reasoning.

4-Formulate strategies to locate, evaluate, and apply information.

5-Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures, including global and historical perspectives.

6-Create strategies that can be used to fulfill personal, civic, and social responsibilities.

7-Demonstrate knowledge of ethical thinking and its application to issues in society.

8-Use computer and emerging technologies effectively.

9-Demonstrate an appreciation for aesthetics and creative activities.

10-Describe how natural systems function and recognize the impact of humans on the

environment.

Teaching Strategies and Course Materials

Students will be provided various educational materials, attend lectures, engage in classroom

discussions, provided with experiential learning opportunities, which will all enhance course

content and support the missions of the Global Sustainability Earth Literacy Studies, the Institute

for Civic Engagement and Democracy, MDC’s IMPACT: Innovation Meets Purpose and

Change in Teams, and the Multidisciplinary Academic Learning Lounges (MALLs).

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Lectures/presentations/web links/videos:

The Earth Charter. http://earthcharter.org/, Michael Matthews - PowerPoint

The International Solidarity for Human Rights http://ishrights.org

Ashoka: Changemaker Campus U http://ashokau.org/changemakercampus/

The qualities of the changemaker

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals- Call to Action

http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

United Nations Foundation. http://www.unfoundation.org/how-to-help/sign-

up.html?gclid=CPiu-bbC4dQCFcYDhgoduBUF5g

Multidisciplinary Academic Learning lounges. http://www.mdc.edu/malls/

Characteristics of a 21st century citizen

Climate change

NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/

EEI Sustainable Development – Definition

The Environmental and Sustainable Education Pillars of life-long learning

Sustainable Development Key Concepts

Mechanistic View and Ecological View of Education: An Ecological Paradigm

for Education- a table by Stephen Sterling in Sustainable Education

Components of Eco literacy (The Center for Eco literacy in California)

EEI Four Habits of Sustainability Thought

EEI Sustainability-literate Leadership

Ecological Consciousness. Ecological Consciousness by Christopher Uhl (Page

249)

Assessed Assignments:

“College students are hungry to be part of something larger than themselves, to engage in

meaningful work that they believe can make a difference in the lives of those around them and, in

the process, in their own lives. Ashoka offers this opportunity through social entrepreneurship.

Ashoka is enabling students to participate in improving their campuses and the communities that

surround them.”

Tom Ehrlich, Senior Scholar, Carnegie Foundation Former President, Indiana University

1. Team Research Project and Video Presentation: Each team will conduct research on one

of the six GSELS objectives selected for this course, give an original video presentation

and guide their classmates through a three-question small discussion session. Students

must include two related research studies, map two non-profit organizations to their

assigned objective, links to two videos, one TEDx Talk and one cell phone app. A group

discussion will follow each presentation.

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2. Climate Change-Home Energy Reduction Project. This project will foster behavioral

changes at home to reduce carbon emissions by implementing learning principles and

theories of motivation. Students will also take an ecological footprint survey. Students

will reflect on their ecological footprint the individual results, their use of energy at home

and their impact climate change and related impact. A group discussion will follow the

completion of this project.

3. Co-Curricular Learning Academy (MALLS). This is a second year program, which will

require students to complete the Academic Learning/GSELS track by attending five workshops

and completing a capstone project. The MALLs’ coordinator will assist students with securing

presenters, resources and knowledge needed to design a Social Change Capstone Project in

teams. The capstone projects must be mapped to any of the six selected GSELS objectives.

Students, who successfully complete COLA, will receive a completion award at the end of the

semester.

4. ISHR Human Rights Academic Service Learning project: Teams of students will create

original lessons to teach the United Nations Universal Declarations of Human Rights to

MDC North Campus student organizations or in our local community. A group

discussion and reflection will follow the completion of this project.