Shelburne Farms' Sustainable Schools Project uses the 4Cs as a way to describe our work.  So what are the 4Cs??

• Curriculum Development
• Campus Practices & Culture
• Community Partnerships
• Collaboration

Curriculum Development - our goal is to help teachers use the integrative concepts and big ideas of sustainability for curricular topics/themes, to teach skills and content, and to help them make connections between the school and community.

Campus Practices & Culture - we work with schools to help them practice sustainability in the school and schoolyard, to think creatively about everything from student-leadership and school-wide decision-making  to school food, compost and cleaning products. 

Community Partnerships - we work with schools to develop and sustain on-going community partnerships because we know these relationships are vital to connecting the curriculum to relevant, real-world issues.  Our research shows that the development of community partnerships has staying power and carries on past the SSP initial efforts in a school.

Collaboration - not only do we help schools and teachers plan and learn together across all grade-levels but we aim to help schools collaborate with the larger community (families, businesses, government, non-profits) to create sustainable communities.