This holds true for education too.

The rest of the quote says: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

This truth is perhaps increasingly obvious to more and more people as we face the harsh reality of climate change on our shared, tiny blue planet. As has too often been the case, those already challenged with the many legacies of oppression and exploitation are being hit first and hardest.

Everything we do now—as always—to each other, to our fellow planetary relatives, and to our planet—affects us all. Our vision is not climate justice and social justice as two different issues; they are one and the same. Our vision is not education for the sake of education, but education for the sake of whole communities and a healthy planet—reweaving ourselves into healthy relationship with life itself, of which we are a part.

When it comes to our small piece of the garment—focused on education for young ones—this means that these issues are not only part of the curriculum (what we study), but also part of what and who we aim to serve.

As we seek to be part of the healing in our times and plant fruitful seeds for the future generations, we surely still have much to learn (and unlearn). And, this is the joy of education—to draw forth in one another our deepest gifts—that we may contribute to the health of our planet and all of us who are part of it.

We look forward to walking this path with you.