Innovative ways to envision, practice and teach sustainability will be a few things that workshop participants will learn at The Mississippi Project Workshop VIII on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“The Value of the Humanities in Teaching and Learning about Sustainability” will be the topic of the free conference for educators in the region, according to co-facilitators Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, associate professor; and Lisa Martino-Taylor, PhD, assistant professor, both in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Sociology.
“This year’s workshop theme is an important one, because the humanities have a lot to offer in thinking about sustainability,” said Frey Spurlock. “Sustainability scholars, for example, rightly point out that we do not have an environmental problem. Instead, we have a human problem. The humanities can provide us with the tools and frameworks needed to make deep cultural changes.”
Because sustainability needs to be expanded to include social issues, the effect on communities, families and individuals should be examined, added Martino-Taylor.
“The issues that we are confronted with are often complex and multi-faceted, and that means that their solutions are likely to be complex, requiring creativity and vision in ways that we have not yet experienced,” explained Martino-Taylor. “The humanities capture creativity in ways that force us to think about sustainability differently, so we find here a natural partnership for problem-solving.”
Also on the conference program agenda:
- Shelly Goebl-Parker, PhD, associate professor in the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Art and Design, will talk about how art can be incorporated into sustainability curriculum
- SIUE Distinguished Research Professor Greg Fields, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Philosophy, will discuss sustainability and indigenous knowledge
“Attendees will have time to network with other educators from the region, who are examining how their courses can more holistically address sustainability issues,” said Martino-Taylor. “We welcome SIUE faculty and regional partners who are interested in indigenous knowledge, art, social justice, the environment and sustainability to this free conference.”
To register, contact Frey Spurlock at cfrey@siue.edu.
Photo:
Sustainability conference co-facilitators are Lisa Martino-Taylor, PhD, (left) and Connie Frey Spurlock, PhD, (right). Frey Spurlock is an associate professor and Martino-Taylor is an assistant professor, both in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Sociology.