More Meaningful Than Any Degree

Adapting Educational Goals for a Changing World

Like all parents, I love my children and want them to enjoy healthy, fulfilling futures. I’m grateful that my daughter is happy with the college she got into. I hope my sons will be happy with their options, too.

That said, where (or even if) kids go to college is beginning to feel somewhat insignificant now that “humanity has opened the gates of hell,” as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said at the first-ever UN Climate Ambition Summit.

Today’s parents are missing the big picture. Hyper-focussing on helping our children get into elite schools won’t protect them. To offer them true hope for tomorrow, we must evolve beyond our competitive culture now.

My Family’s First Glimpses of Climate Hell

Screams of “Fire! Get out now!” mixed with blaring horns woke our family at 3 a.m. on August 17, 2020. Thankfully, everyone made it down the mountain that night. In the days and weeks that followed, we stayed at motels and a friend’s place in town. Over 400 homes burned as that wildfire spread through our California community.

For a year or more after that, my youngest son, who was eight at the time, had trouble sleeping at night. He worried that another fire might start or that strong winds might blow a tree over on our roof.

This winter, high winds, and record-setting rain pummelled our region. A massive tree fell over, crushing a neighbor’s roof. Although the roof was destroyed and my son’s fears proved justified, no one was hurt.

We spent many days without electricity. A generator powered our fridge, a lamp, a panini press, and (when the WiFi was working) the modem. We, of course, were among the fortunate. So many people and communities have already experienced deadly, destructive climate events. I was grateful for my family’s safety, the generator, and my wood stove.

One day last week, smoke from the fires burning north of us made the air unsafe. Schools and teams canceled all sports and outdoor PE classes. That night, my son, now almost twelve, was driving me crazy. I realized it was because he hadn’t had any exercise that day.

Wildfires, floods, and wind storms have already made it difficult to insure our homes. As they become more and more common, raising healthy children will become harder too.

How the Climate Crisis is Impacting My Views on College

I’ve always considered myself a Race to Nowhere mom, caring more about my children’s happiness and mental health than their report cards or GPAs. Watching deadly climate events on TV has heightened these instincts.

Sensing what lies ahead here at home has intensified them still more. Today’s children will face challenges and possibilities that we have yet to imagine. College may do little to prepare them for a new reality that is already unfolding.

With this in mind, the following life skills may be more useful than any degree.

Six Lessons All Humans Need to Evolve in Rapidly Changing Times

1. We need to learn to love ourselves. Our competitive culture wants us to feel bad about ourselves. People who worry about their image are good for business. They buy makeup, clothes, fancy cars, etc., to impress others. Learning to love ourselves will help us disconnect from our consumer culture. We’ll be free to think new thoughts, cultivate healthy relationships, and imagine a better world. When we outgrow the need to compete with one another, we’ll start working together for our common good. Loving ourselves is also a great way to save money.
2. We need to learn what makes us happy and healthy. Most adults I know (including myself) are still trying to figure this out. Kids, especially young children, seem to know this innately. Like most teens these days, my kids spend a lot of time scrolling on TikTok and YouTube. Despite their scrolling habits, they’ll admit these apps don’t make them feel good. Face-to-face camaraderie, exercise, and time spent outside do.
3. We need to learn to acknowledge our mistakes, make amends, forgive ourselves, and move forward. Making mistakes, big and small, is part of being human. How we respond to our mistakes shapes who we become in life. We must find the courage to start difficult conversations. Listening to those we have harmed opens opportunities for learning and self-reflection. It can also be a chance to form deeper connections with those we have offended. Once we have at least tried to make amends, it becomes easier to forgive ourselves and move forward. In contrast, ruminating on our errors takes a lot of time and energy, keeps us awake at night, and solves nothing. Governments and corporations also need to learn this lesson…
4. We need to relearn to be present and feel the magic of the natural world. Noticing ants at work, birds flying, spiderwebs glistening in the sunlight, and tiny sprouts poking through dry earth calms the soul. This simple perspective can keep us centered in the present moment. Watching a sunrise with our bare feet on the ground while listening to a symphony of morning sounds reminds us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Slowing our minds and opening our hearts lets us feel the miracles all around us.
5. We need to learn to garden, forage, and tend the land. My father was an avid gardener, and I enjoyed helping in the garden when I was young. Since I spent much of their childhoods feeling stretched for time, most of my attempts at gardening with my kids fall into the too little, too late department. When they were young, my kids loved anything that involved getting their hands dirty. I’d love to allure them back to the dirt. In the future, many things we take for granted now may be scarce. We should all learn to grow our own food, forage native edibles and medicinals, and tend the land.
6. We need to learn that we are all in this together. Standing as allies with those on the front lines of the climate crisis makes a difference. When we share our resources to help others, we gain the sense that others will one day have our backs, too. Movements like Occupy Wall Street and Standing Rock change the world. Such gatherings have done more to raise awareness and improve our chances of envisioning and creating a just and joyful future than any elected official, university program, technological innovation, or scientific discovery. They have also been amazing training grounds for learning to live the way we will need to live in the future. If any of my children want to take time off of school to support a movement for justice, I will support them wholeheartedly.

We Must Rethink Higher Education Now to Create Hope

Changing the way we think about college can help us build a green, energy-based future with hope for all. First, we should invite all high school graduates to enroll in programs like Climate Corps AmeriCorps (CCAC).

Then, students who have dedicated a year or two to protecting our ecosystems should receive free higher education, including room and board and healthcare. Their hands-on experience learning how to regenerate our land and waterways and build climate-resilient infrastructure would likely inspire many to study ways to continue helping our planet and our communities to heal. All of this (and more) could be fully paid for by cutting the deadly and destructive U.S. Military Budget to fund a Green or Red New Deal.

I will let my children decide how much effort they want to put into the college application process. I will also encourage them to explore other (perhaps more meaningful ways) they might help manifest the future we all want and need.

Thank you for reading my thoughts!

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Together, we can cultivate and grow a community of people pondering how our everyday experiences can help us envision and create a just and joyful future for all.

Do you write about similar topics? Please let me know. I’d love to read and share your work.