Children's Participation: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care

Description

People's relationship to nature is the greatest issue facing the world at the turn of the millennium, and all over the world young people have shown enormous enthusiasm for environmental action. Many countries are radically reassessing both the role of citizens in managing their environment and the rights and responsibilities of children to be involved in shaping their own and their communities' futures. This book, by one of the world's leading authorities on environmental education, is written in the conviction that children can play a valuable and lasting role in sustainable development, if their participation is taken seriously and planned with thought for their developing capabilities and unique strengths. Through direct participation, children can develop a genuine appreciation of democracy and a sense of their own competence and responsibility. The planning, design, monitoring and management of the physical environment is an ideal domain for their participation, in part because their commitment to it is so strong. The book is for planners, educationalists and environmentalists, introducing the theory and the practice of children's participation, and its importance for developing democracy and sustainable communities. It emphasises genuine participation, where children are themselves involved in defining problems and acting as reflective, critical participants in issues affecting their communities. The 'environment' is interpreted broadly to include, for example, the planning of housing areas and the management of playgrounds. Detailed case studies are provided from urban and rural, poor and middle class communities from both the North and South. For teachers, group facilitators and community leaders, it presents organising principles, successful models, practical techniques and resources for involving young people in environmental projects. Cover CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION: The Theory and Practice of Involving Young Citizens in Community Development and Environmental Care Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Part One: Introduction and Conceptual Issues Chapter 1 Introduction The Environment Becomes the Concern of All Communities Children's Rights and Responsibilities The Development of Children's Environmental Knowledge, Concern, and Action Chapter 2 Children's Developing Capacity to Participate The Development of Identity Social Development Supporting the Participation of Girls as Well as Boys Recognizing Individual Differences and Special Needs Chapter 3 Organizational Principles Avoiding Manipulation and Tokenism Models of Genuine Participation Adult-Initiated, Shared Decisions with Children Alternative Structures for Children's Participation Some Simple Principles of Democratic Process Organizing Meetings Competitions Engaging with the News Media Monitoring Projects Chapter 4 New Models for Involving Children and New Institutional Alliances Household Environmental Management Community Schools Community Development Organizations Children's and Youths' Organizations Organizations for Street and Working Children and other Children Living in Poverty Children's Environmental Clubs Child-Initiated Clubs, Networks, and Projects Environmental Non-Government Organizations Development Non-Government Organizations Local Government Children's Councils Local Government Environmental Agencies Case Study: The 'GreenIt' Programme of the United Kingdom 'Shadowing' Adult Environmental Professionals Business Partnerships with Schools and Communities Community Environmental Centres Environmental Support Centres for Community Organizers, Facilitators, and Teachers The Development of New Roles for Adults: Animators, Facilitators, and Promoters Case Study: The Notting Dale Urban Studies Centre, England Case Study: The Environmental Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland Case Study: The 'Green College', Colombia Part II Children's Participation in Practice Introduction Chapter 5 Action Research with Children Problem Identification Investigating the Study Site or Theme Analysing and Interpreting the Data Planning Environmental Actions The Actions Case Study on Environmental Research by Very Young Children - an Example from Vermont, USA Case Study on the Programme of Working Children (PMT) in Ecuador Evaluation and Repeating the Cycle of Action Research Chapter 6 Environmental Planning, Design, and Construction by Children Children's Planning, Design and Construction of their Own Environments The Design and Construction of School Grounds Children as Participants with Adults in Community-Based Planning Children's Participation in the Planning of Natural Resource Conservation Projects Case Study: 'Planning For Real' in Scotland Planning and Design by Children for Adult 'Clients' Case Study: Children Designing the Future in a Disadvantaged Rural Setting, Aspromonte, Italy Chapter 7 Environmental Management Household Environmental Management: The Health and Happiness Mobile Circus in the Brazilian Amazon The Child-to-Child Programme The Management of School Grounds Case Study: Neighbourhood Health Hazard Action Research in Lancashire, England Case Study from Nicaragua The Management of Community Resources by Children Case Study: Schools as Centres for Community Conservation Practices in the Peruvian Andes Case Study: Environmental Management in Hojas Anchas: a 'New School' in Colombia Chapter 8 Environmental Monitoring Involving Children in the Definition and Use of Indicators of Development and Environmental Quality Monitoring Schoolgrounds Community-Based Monitoring in the Philippines National Surveys with Environmental Organizations Chapter 9 Public Awareness and Political Action by Children Campaigns Public Demonstrations Conferences Children's Hearings Encounters with Politicians and Public Officials Public Presentations Chapter 10 From Local to Global Through Linking and Networks Exchange or Linking Projects Environmental Networks Case Study: An Urban-Rural Exchange Project in the USA Case Study: The Rivers Curriculum Project Case Study: Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Part III Methods Introduction Chapter 11 Drawings and Collages Individual Drawings Storyboards Collective Drawing Collage Making Drawings on Slides Chapter 12 Mapping and Modelling Child-Made Maps Mapping Personal Worlds Making a Community Base Map Small-Scale Modelling Full-Size Simulations Chapter 13 Interviewing and Surveys Interviews Surveys Trails or 'Scored Walks' Chapter 14 Media and Communication Print Journalism and Publishing Photography Video and Television Radio Production Performance Rituals and Special Events: Festivals, Parades and Plant-ins Chapter 15 Conclusions: Communities for Sustainable Development in the Twenty-First Century Bibliography Index