We Borrow It from Our Children by Charlotte

We Borrow It from Our Children by Charlotte - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” This is a Native American proverb that I learned when I went to Outdoor School, a field science program for sixth-graders. When I first heard it, I did not know at the time that I would become an Educational Activities Coordinator for that same program myself. My experience in this role was both rewarding and impactful as I led a group of over 30 local sixth-graders through an eight-month curriculum teaching environmental science and sustainability. Engaging the students in hands-on activities allowed me to instill the importance of preservation and maintaining a personal connection to our environment. My role also involved promoting a sense of responsibility by teaching individual actions even young students can do to practice sustainability. Building a strong rapport with the students, I aimed to inspire a passion and interest for the environment’s wellbeing. Through my leading role in this program, I have been able to raise awareness and address concerns about taking care of the Earth, shape the next generation's environmental consciousness, and instill a commitment to make their own change and work toward a more sustainable future.
That proverb still deeply resonates with me and serves as a guiding principle in my commitment to environmental activism. Over the past few years I have participated in Envirothon, an environmental and natural resource problem-solving academic competition focusing on sustainable management practices and real-world applications of environmental science concepts, learning everything from soil/land use to forest management to aquatic ecology. Every year we get a new “current issue” topic (past topics including waste management, adapting to a changing climate, and utilizing renewable energy), for which we prepare a 20-minute oral presentation describing our invention or process that can mitigate harmful effects of the issue. Through the in-depth education I receive on these problems, I have gotten many opportunities to participate in environmental activism projects, such as joining conservation programs like Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN), protesting local harmful environmental legislation, and spreading awareness about sustainability and promoting change within our ecosystems.