From classrooms to eco-communities: an ecological approach to school connectedness, intergenerational advocacy and student agency

This article examines how an ecological approach to education can enable student-led practices that strengthen school connectedness. This qualitative case study illustrates how school connectedness and student agency can be realised when educational practice is ecologically embedded within community systems. School connectedness is rooted in shared responsibility, empathy, and real-world engagement. Data from five semi-structured interviews were analysed, revealing how students in one Canadian school took the initiative to prevent the closure of a local aged care home. By orchestrating fundraising events, forging relationships with community businesses, and offering direct support to vulnerable residents, students demonstrated the transformative impact of their engagement on community well-being. These findings highlight how school connectedness flourishes when anchored in an ecological framework that transcends traditional school boundaries. The case develops ‘eco-community connectedness’ as a conceptual proposition for understanding connectedness as a dynamic, participatory and multi-level practice. The article concludes with a practical tool, an ‘Eco-Community Connectedness Framework’ that supports educators to consider how teaching practices, relationships and institutional conditions can enable student agency and connectedness across school-community ecologies.