Machi Work: Education for Participation
In the UK and Japan, young people have had opportunities to participate in activities in schools and communities that have helped them look again at their local environment. They have been able to make judgements about aesthetic and design qualities and consider how places might be changed and improved.With help from environmental, design and educational professionals, children have been able to anticipate their role as responsible citizens. They learned new ways of perceiving their surroundings, of recording and analyzing, critiquing environmental quality and developing ideas for improvement.This book explains how young people have been able to engage in planning for environmental change. The book shares the ideas, techniques, working methods and relationships involved. It shows how the young people have joined in a whole range of experiences and activities that have made a positive difference to themselves, to the environment and to the society in which they live.The book is the result of collaboration between members of the MACHI Group in Japan and colleagues in the UK. It provides a unique opportunity to explore the similarities and differences in approaches in the two countries to build environment education. Text is in both English and Japanese.