SK Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development: Overview and Next Steps

1. Roger Petry Luther College, University of Regina SIAST Boardroom July 25, 2006 SK Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development: Overview and Next Steps

2. Presentation Overview • Background on Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs) • Material summarized from: Mobilising for Education for Sustainable Development: Towards a Global Learning Space based on Regional Centres of Expertise, prepared by Zinaida Fadeeva and Yoko Mochizuki for the UNU-IAS • Available from: http://www.ias.unu.edu/binaries2/RCEreport.pdf • Overview of progress of SK RCE on ESD • Draft proposal available at: http://142.3.35.101/RCE/ • Next steps in advancing the SK RCE

3. U.N. and Education for Sustainable Development • December 2002, United Nations General Assembly adopts resolution to launch Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) from 2005 – 2014 • United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) initiates new program on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in 2003 • Includes promotion of Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs) • 3 initial RCEs in 2004 (Greater Sendai Area, Japan; Rhine-Meuse region, Europe; Toronto, Canada) • Currently 9 RCEs and adding 9-10

4. Underlying Features of RCE Model • Education as an ongoing process that includes both formal and informal education • Centrality of institutions of higher education (IHEs) in ESD • ESD programs must be locally relevant and culturally appropriate • Enable collaboration among local organizations engaged in ESD and between global RCEs • Integrating knowledge for ESD

5. Focus of RCE on Regional Sustainability Issues • Goal of integrating environmental, social and economic perspectives simultaneously • This integration is accomplished by: • Identifying challenges of sustainability faced by a region • Examining how each learning activity initiated by the RCE addresses particular sustainability challenges • Integrating what is learned back into traditional disciplines (e.g., use of local examples in science, mathematics, etc.)

6. Core Elements of RCEs • Governance and sustainability of RCE (vision, goals, assessment, reporting) • Collaboration (vertical, horizontal, and lateral) • Research and development in ESD (documentation, innovation, efficiency) • Transformative education (in relation to sustainable living and livelihoods in region)

7. SK RCE on ESD Time-line to Date • February, 2005: presentation of RCE concept at the University of Regina by Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair at York University coordinating RCEs in region • August 25, 2005: individuals and organizations brought together to explore RCE concept for prairie region of SK • November 2-4, 2005: 1st draft RCE proposal developed for second visit by Charles Hopkins to U of R and U of S • December 2005, identification of ESD themes for region from earlier workshops • February to May 2006: drafting of RCE governance structure • June 2006: establishment of RCE Technology Group • July 2006: circulation of complete draft of RCE proposal • opportunities for edits, addition to supporter list, and formal letters of support

8. 1st RCE Workshop: August 25, 2005(Luther College, University of Regina) • Large Group Discussion: • What is Education for Sustainable Development? What might a Regional Centre of Expertise look like? • How might we structure a regional centre of expertise to facilitate educational activities for sustainable development and collaboration among formal, informal, and non-formal sectors of education in our region? • Small Group Discussion: • What interest does your organization have in education for sustainable development and how might creating a regional centre of expertise help your organization? • How would you describe your organization's capacities in education for sustainable development and the kinds of resources it could potentially offer in creating a regional centre of expertise?

9. 2nd RCE Workshop: November 3, 2005 (University of Regina) • “How Regional Centres of Expertise are Taking Shape on our Planet” presentation by Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair, York University • Small-group Discussion: • In reviewing the RCE proposal overview, do you see there being any additional elements required? • What do you see as current or emerging issues in sustainability in our region that might be identified in the proposal? • Is there any initiative(s) in education for sustainable development that you might like to see included in the proposal? • If so, would the long-term outcomes set out in the proposal for the Regional Centre of Expertise accommodate the initiative(s)?

10. SK RCE Regional Description • Initial focus on the prairie region • Corridor between Regina and Saskatoon following Louis Riel Trail (Highway 11) • Includes rural areas and towns (e.g., Craik Sustainable Living Project)

11. Regional Vision of ESD • ESD aims to promote regional reflection and discernment to identify and pursue paths to sustainability • These paths: • lead to ongoing improvements in quality of life • sustain healthy ecosystems • promote active environmental stewardship, social justice, and intergenerational equity. • ESD requires literacy and a capacity to critically and creatively reflect on sustainability challenges • ESD requires an integrated, interdisciplinary, and problem-based approach that is locally relevant and culturally appropriate

12. SK RCE Approach to ESD A Regional Approach • Importance of rural communities re. rapid, small-scale innovation, scalability, and diversity of livelihood approaches • Potential of relationships between communities (e.g. rural and urban, human and non-human) • Recognition of ecological opportunities and constraints A Strengths-Based Approach • add value to existing knowledge and educational activities for sustainability in region • role of service, facilitation, and networking An Institutional Approach • Organizations have significant resources to contribute to ESD • Intentional inclusion of diversity of organizations (e.g. educational, households, First Nations, faith-based, professions, government, market, non-profit/civil society)

13. Regional Issues in ESD Identified by the SK RCE • 2 Cross-cutting themes: • Sustaining rural communities • Educational Approaches for Regional ESD • 6 ESD Issues: • Climate Change • Health • Farming and Local Food Production, Consumption, and Waste Minimization • Reconnecting to Natural Prairie Ecosystems • Supporting and Bridging Cultures for Sustainable Living and Community Building • Sustainable Infrastructure including Water and Energy

14. SK RCE Organizational Structures • RCE Facilitation Group(RFG): board with representation of key institutional stakeholders, maintains formal links to U.N.U. RCE initiative, facilitates policies where needed, provides administrative and financial support • Theme Area Working Groups (TAWG): six coordinating working groups linked to each RCE issue; identifies and facilitates • initiatives in respective issue area (IN) • local centres of expertise (LC) • RCE Technology Group (RTG): helps develop and maintain an RCE Web based networking structure at regional level

15. SK RCE Governance Structure

16. Transformative Expectations/ESD Outcomes of SK RCE • Literacy and access to quality basic education for all within the region • Identification of key issues of sustainability and sustainability projects in the region • Open networks for knowledge sharing • Public awareness about sustainability in the region • Ongoing opportunities for collaborative work on ESD projects • Integration of sustainability into formal education curricula

17. Further ESD Outcomes • Formal linkages promoting ESD between organizations • Identification of current research in ESD and coordination of new ESD research projects • Development and incorporation of science and technology for ESD • Acknowledgment and celebration of success • Ongoing advocacy for ESD outcomes • Ongoing documentation of RCE activities • Ongoing measurement and evaluation of RCE initiatives

18. Next Steps In Advancing the SK RCE: (1) Submission of SK RCE Proposal • Any further edits needed by July 26, 2006 for proposal submission by July 31, 2006. • Proposal in a wiki at: http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/sk_rce_on_esd/sk_rce_on_esd • Inclusion as a supporter of the RCE • Add own name and/or organization to Appendix A of proposal in wiki • Send e-mail with contact information to roger.petry@uregina.ca • Add details of ESD initiatives you are engaged in in any of the 6 issue areas (section 7)

19. Provide an Official Letter of Support for the SK RCE • Address letter to: Charles Hopkins United Nations University Chair for Education for Sustainable Development 339 York Lanes, York University 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3 • Send Letter to: Dr. Tanya Dahms Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Regina Regina, SK Canada S4S 0A2 Phone: 306-585-4246 Fax: 306-337-2409 • Electronic copies can be sent to: Tanya.Dahms@uregina.ca

20. (2) Development of Web based Networking Structure for the SK RCE • $1600 of funding received from the U of R Technology Innovation Fund for computer hardware (February 2006) • $4,666 funding through Student Employment Experience--Province of Saskatchewan and Luther College, U of R campus (May, 2006) • RCE Technology Group established and Ph.D. student hired (May, 2006) • Student evaluation of Content Management Systems (CMS's); Drupal Selected (June, 2006) • Created Linux server (Ubuntu distribution) and Drupal installed; priorizing of CMS modules to be used (July, 2006)

21. Outcomes of Proposed RCE Web Based Networking Structure • Facilitation of working of RCE regional structures (RFG, RTG, TAWGs) including: • capacity for ongoing cataloging, researching, and archiving of Education for Sustainable Development projects in the region and RCE regional activities • postings of new initiatives, developments, seminars, and meetings • sharing of research (such as educational methods) and other ESD documents (such as curricula) developed in the region, and • opportunities for informed communication to the public on sustainable development issues of high importance to the region

22. Next Steps for SK RCE Web Based Networking Structure • Meeting with SK RCE members (Aug. or Sept. 2006) to: • demonstration of possible technological features that can be implemented by the chosen Content Management System • identification of priority functions to be implemented • Refinement of Web Based Networking Structure by RCE Technology Group based on User Feedback (Fall 2006) • Gradual implementation of new features identified by RCE users available in CMS (medium term) • Development of specific technologies to facilitate Local Centres of Expertise on ESD within communities (long term)

23. (3) Creation of SK RCE Regional Structures • Requests for SK RCE members willing to serve in SK RCE formal structures (anticipating approval of SK RCE proposal in the Fall 2006) • 6 Theme Area Working Groups • Based on expressed interest and/or existing ESD initiatives within each theme area • Identify interest from fall ESD workshop • RCE Facilitation Group (RFG) • fulfill representative functions identified • build on capacities and interest within the SESDWG and the RCE • RCE Technology Group (RTG) • include new members identified from August/September RTG Consultation

24. Common Tasks of SK RCE Structures • Identify existing capacities and interest of members of TAWGs, RFG, and RTG • Prioritize tasks as outlined in SK RCE proposal for each group and set initial time lines • Provide ongoing documentation of each group's activities • Facilitate and provide resources for advancing existing and new local and regional ESD initiatives • Identify any gaps and/or need for external resources (human, financial, in-kind) that emerge • make these needs known to RCE members • make use of resources available through other global RCEs and U.N.U.

25. (4) Fall ESD Symposium (October 27, 2006) • Event being organized by the Saskatchewan ESD Working Group (coordinated by John Barker of SCIC) • Potential for building on important ESD themes identified by the SK RCE: • Education for Sustainable Livelihoods in SK • builds on overarching RCE theme of sustaining rural communities • addresses U.N.U. RCE focus on transformative education using a sustainable livelihoods model • potential for an integrative theme for large group activities and panels • extensively developed and applied model • See http://www.livelihoods.org • 6 educational theme areas identified by the SK RCE • can have panels and small groups on specific themes • provide awareness of local ESD initiatives

26. Concluding Thoughts • Significant opportunities for students to learn from development of SK RCE: • allows interdisciplinary, theoretical and applied research with local and global relevance • worthwhile identifying opportunities (both scholarly and/or employment) to help students facilitate development of RCE structure • Broader relevance to higher education: • from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities: • potential practical application of insights from earlier transitions in modes of production (e.g., emergence of industrial production) and role of formal education institutions in these transitions (e.g., the Royal Society)