The Appeal and Power of Place-Based Learning

The idea behind place-based education is simple yet compelling: It uses the environment around you, and even the entire world, to learn. Instead of learning and memorizing by rote, students apply what they learn. While place-based education may seem like a new concept, the idea of incorporating local issues and knowledge into an educational curriculum was the way children learned before formal schools were created.

Place-based learning can take place in parks, in museums, anywhere. Learners participate and reap numerous benefits, including higher levels of engagement, academic achievements and a great sense of involvement in their local communities. It can help increase teacher engagement as well. This kind of learning can also create strong bonds between learners and their parents and the local environment and social organizations, which can help enhance overall community quality of life. The attached resource, The Power Of Place-Based Learning, describes more about this growing educational trend.