On May 15th, the sixth grade students from Genessee Community Charter School visited Harley to check out the Commons and work with our sixth grade students on questions of sustainability. The students started the day with a tour of the Commons by Chris Hartman. Their year-long study and focus has been on sustainability, and this visit was one of their many exploratory ventures in their pursuit of authentic learning. Our Harley students joined the GCCS students for a great discussion about sustainability and how they can impact the future health of our planet. They worked together in small groups to draft working definitions of “sustainability”. Some of those definitions are:

~Sustainability is being able to sustain natural resources in an efficient way.
~Sustainability is using as [few] resources as we can & being mindful about it, including turning off lights, using less water, walking and biking.
~Sustainability is being self-sufficient to make the world a better place. This can include turning off lights, biking, and growing your own food.
~Sustainability is keeping the environment clean and well for a long time.
~Sustainability is to sustain a work force by reusing as many materials as possible.
~Sustainability is meeting the needs of this generation without compromising the needs of the future.
~Sustainability is a habit to conserve resources and reuse materials.
~Sustainability is the ability for something to sustain itself for a long time period. It is also the ability for someone to have a green mindset.

The students and teachers from GCCS stayed through lunch, and everyone had a meaningful time sharing ideas!