Richard Kahn's 'Ecopedagogy'

"As a form of nonformal, popular education it has stirred many people to become self-aware of the role they play in environmental destruction and to become more socially active in ways that can help to create a more ecological and sustainable world." -- Richard Kahn

Kahn introduces the idea of ecopedagogy to influence the study of environmental education in both academic and nonacademic institutions.  The article explains how although environmental education has recently grown throughout the school systems, there still needs to be more action taken in order to make people fully understand the importance of the environment.  There are still people out there that can't understand basic environmental concepts.  The education is a start, and according to the statement above, has influenced people to become more self-aware of their role in the environment.  Kahn also states that personal interactions and experience must be a part of this learning.  People will not get a full, knowledgeable education from simply learning the concepts in various institutions around the world.  In order for this to become effective, I would create more institutions like the Zoo School where students are physically involved in learning different techniques and concepts important to conserving the environment.  In the article, it supported this institution by also saying that such a school has even increased test scores and helped students transfer unfamiliar knowledge to familiar knowledge in ways that are impossible in a regular classroom.  Learning the information is important, but being able to understand it and apply the information to every day situations is the point we have to get to.