Sowing the Seeds of Change

New Perennials is premised on the simple hypothesis that how we grow food and feed ourselves is deeply connected to the way we think about and organize ourselves as human beings in a crowded world. Thoughts matter, and they have been shaping and altering the planet for millenia, from large-scale agriculture to massive structures and cities to electric lights illuminating the night skies as seen from space. The “New” of New Perennials suggests that we can imagine and think differently about our human nature and our relationships with others, and this new thinking might surprise us.

New Perennials publishes books, anthologies, pamphlets, podcasts, videos, and teaching materials that are free for educational and community use. The publications, available to read online and also formatted for easy printing, are designed for students, teachers, and citizens who want to explore new ways of thinking about the social and ecological challenges of our time. Our authors are these very same students, teachers, and citizens, as well as activists, academics, poets, and artists.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

towards perennial learning

What is education for? What are the possibilities for healing and regeneration when we reconsider the aims and pedagogies of education in the face of ecological tipping points and injustice across the planet? Fortunately, students at Middlebury College have been considering these questions and exploring the possibilities. Towards Perennial Learning gathers the insights and wisdom of a new generation that educators—and learners—everywhere can benefit from. —Emily Hoyer.

LIFE ITSELF: EDUCATIONAL
ROOTS AMID GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY

As the Covid pandemic spread across the country and schools closed in response, an unconventional school for young children was quickly conceived and launched. Its campus was in the woods of Vermont. The teachers had no materials, no curriculum, and about three weeks to prepare. The result was a triumph of ingenuity, imagination, and determination.