When my family and I embarked on our journey to Serenbe, we didn’t quite know what the day had in store. As we drove through the breathtaking countryside, I began to take note of my surroundings, making sure to soak up the atmosphere. The bustling noises of the city soon transformed into birds chirping and insects trilling. Sun-dappled roads lined with forest escorted us to our destination among the pines. As we inched closer to our destination, the serene and silent parade of electric vehicles signaled that our first-ever RayDay was just around the corner.

Speaking from the lens of one of the agricultural education teachers at Newton College & Career Academy, we are consistently looking to connect things. We strive to connect our students with curriculum, our curriculum with industry, and our industries with students. Ultimately that’s what sustainability is, right? Connecting things with one another? Webster defines sustainable as : capable of being sustained. Well, what does Webster say about sustained?  “Maintained at length without interruption or weakening."

That’s what I’m talking about. I don’t want our student’s progress to be interrupted, and I certainly don’t want it to be weakened. I want the experiences our students have to strengthen them as individuals, therefore strengthening our curriculum and local industries. Much like any type of braided wire or rope, we believe the more experiences we can connect with a student, the stronger that student becomes. Our students hopefully become more sustainable when they come through our program.

By Sustainable Newton