Engaging Students with Relevant Learning

Today’s world demands a global outlook in every subject and every classroom. As educators, our task is to help give students the skills, tools, and perspectives to become fulfilled human beings, responsible global citizens, and effective stewards of a sustainable future.

A focus on global issues and sustainability isn’t about adding another commitment to an already overloaded curriculum. In fact, the framework of global sustainability advances educational objectives by making all subjects more engaging, relevant, and solutions-oriented.

Facing the Future resources include:

• Curriculum resources on global issues and sustainable solutions, including student textbooks, teacher lesson plans, and thematic units that contain both lessons and student readings
• Professional development and consulting for preservice and inservice teachers, departments, schools, districts, and states
• Action and service learning information and opportunities 

 Watch the video below to see how Facing the Future curriculum engages students in the classroom.

Educators use our resources because they:

Teach key concepts

• Fundamental concepts infused throughout Facing the Future curriculum resources include systems connections, sustainability, poverty, equity, population, consumption, climate change, health, social justice, human rights, peace and conflict, and governance.

Build core academic skills

• Facing the Future curriculum resources promote critical and creative thinking, systems thinking, problem solving, decision making, collaboration and cooperative learning, media literacy, communication skills, and cultural awareness.

Reach students at different levels and learning styles 

• Facing the Future resources help close the achievement gap by utilizing varied teaching methods, such as group projects, kinesthetic activities, and action opportunities, to reach a diverse student population. 
• Facing the Future resources are in use in public, independent, and charter schools as well as informal educational settings throughout the United States and more than 100 other countries.

Are adaptable and easy to use

• Facing the Future lessons and readings are used in a variety of ways, ranging from a stand-alone lesson, to a 1-2 week unit, to a semester or year-long course.
• Facing the Future resources are used in multiple subjects, including science, social studies, language arts, math, and ESL/ELL and in elementary, middle school, high school and post-secondary levels.

Meet education standards

• All Facing the Future lessons are aligned with United States national education standards for social studies and science as well as state standards.