This manuscript explores the possibilities and challenges of art–science integration in facilitating collaborative sustainability action in local settings. To date, much sustainability education is prescriptive, rather than participatory, and most integrated art–science programming aims for content learning, rather than societal change. What this means is that learners are more often taught “what is” than invited to imagine “what if?” In order to envision and enact sustainable alternatives, there is a need for methods that allow community members, especially young people, to critically engage with the present, imagine a better future, and collaboratively act for sustainability today. This manuscript introduces a methodological framework that integrates the arts and sciences to facilitate: (1) transdisciplinary learning, focusing on local sustainability challenges; (2) participatory process, bringing experience-based knowledge into conversation with research-based knowledge; and (3) collaborative sustainability action, inviting community members to envision and enact sustainable alternatives where they live. The transformative potential of this framework is examined through international case studies from countries representing the richest and poorest in the Western hemisphere: a multi-site research study and after-school program for climate change education and action in collaboration with children in the Western US; and a multi-cycle research study and community arts center course for environmental photography and youth-led water advocacy in Southern Haiti. Despite many shared characteristics, case studies diverge in important ways relative to the sustainability challenges they sought to address, the specific context in which activities took place, and the manner in which art–science integration was practiced. Across cases, however, art–science integration facilitated participants’ learning, connection, and action for sustainability. Framed by the shared aims of transdisciplinary approaches, this manuscript discusses methodological hurdles and practical lessons learned in art–science integration across settings as well as the transformative capacity of alternative pedagogical and research practices in building a sustainable future.

中文翻译：

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融合艺术与科学以实现可持续发展合作行动：方法论框架

该手稿探讨了艺术与科学融合在促进当地环境下的可持续合作行动方面的可能性和挑战。迄今为止，许多可持续发展教育都是说明性的，而不是参与性的，并且大多数艺术与科学的综合计划旨在内容学习，而不是社会变革。这意味着，学习者经常被教导“什么是什么”，而不是被邀请去想象“如果……怎么办”？为了设想和制定可持续的替代方案，需要有一种方法，使社区成员，尤其是年轻人，能够批判性地与现在互动，设想美好的未来，并共同为当今的可持续发展而行动。本手稿介绍了一种将艺术和科学相结合的方法框架，以促进：（1）跨学科学习，关注当地的可持续性挑战；（2）参与过程，将基于经验的知识与基于研究的知识进行对话；（3）可持续性合作行动，邀请社区成员设想并制定他们生活的可持续替代方案。通过代表西半球最富有和最贫穷国家的国际案例研究，研究了该框架的变革潜力：一项与美国西部儿童合作开展的针对气候变化教育和行动的多站点研究和课后计划；以及在海地南部进行的多周期研究和社区艺术中心课程，内容涉及环境摄影和青年领导的水倡导。尽管有许多共同的特征，但案例研究在重要的方面与他们要解决的可持续性挑战，开展活动的具体背景以及进行艺术与科学融合的方式不同。但是，在各种情况下，艺术与科学的融合促进了参与者的学习，联系和可持续性行动。该手稿以跨学科方法的共同目标为框架，讨论了跨环境的艺术与科学融合的方法学障碍和实践经验教训，以及替代的教学和研究实践在构建可持续未来方面的变革能力。