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Heather Witham ESD Project Coordinator Higher Education Academy. The Higher Education Academy’s Education for Sustainable Development Project presents What Makes a Town Sustainable? EAUC Conference 19th April 2007. The Higher Education Academy.
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Heather Witham ESD Project Coordinator Higher Education Academy The Higher Education Academy’s Education for Sustainable Development ProjectpresentsWhat Makes a Town Sustainable?EAUC Conference 19th April 2007
The Higher Education Academy • Our mission is to help institutions, discipline groups and all staff to provide the best possible learning experience for their students • We provide discipline-based support through our Subject Network of 24 Subject Centres. These are a mix of single-site and consortium-based centres located within relevant subject departments and hosted by higher education institutions.
The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Project • Initiated in early 2005 with the support of Forum for the Future • First stage: audit of subject communities carried out by 18 of the 24 Subject Centres • Culminated in the “Dawe Report”, available from our website: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd
Our Strategy • Purpose: ‘to help institutions and subject communities develop curricula and pedagogy that will give students the skills and knowledge to live and work sustainably.’
Our Strategy, continued • Aims: • ‘To research and support the development of ESD in the HE sector, particularly within subject communities’. • ‘To build capacity amongst individuals, subject communities and institutions to embed ESD in curricula and pedagogy’. • ‘To assist the coordination and dissemination of policy, research and practice relating to ESD in institutions, the HEA and the wider field’.
Our Current Work • Research into the UK Policy Context • Forum for the Future • England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales • Available publicly soon • Action Research on Labour Market Evidence for Sustainable Careers Advice • StudentForce for Sustainability • Surveyed students, employers, careers advisors • Available publicly soon
Our Current Work, continued… • Solo HEI Events • Alex Ryan and Colin Brooks • University of East Anglia • University of Gloucestershire soon • Report on our website • Three-Day Interdisciplinary Seminar Series • Alex Ryan and Colin Brooks • 3 universities, 15 disciplines represented • Report on our website
Our Current Work, continued… • Regional ESD Networking Events • East Midlands • South West on 28th March in Bristol • Scotland on 13th June in Dundee • Reports on our website
Our Current Work, continued… • Small Grant Funding • 12 projects from 8 HEIs and/or Subject Centres • 13 disciplines • Results available in July • Listing of projects on our website • UK ESD Conference • 10-11 July 2007 • Ecoversity: Bradford University • More information on our website
Our Current Work, continued… • Joined Up Thinking • Mini SIGnet meeting • Kingston, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Bournemouth, Leadership Foundation, EAUC, Forum for the Future, others • Met in January • Joint strategies on communicating to the sector • Next meeting in July • Resource Development • Our website • Subject Centres • More information on our website
Our Current Work, continued… • Subject Centre Activity • Projects • Workshops • Joint events • Publications • Generic Module and Development Plan • Stephen Sterling (joint post with CSF–- Plymouth)
Our Current Work, continued… What Makes a Town Sustainable?
The History of the Project… • Post 2006 ESD conference • Real life sustainability projects • South Gloucestershire Council’s Local Agenda 21 Meeting • Thornbury Town Council / Partnership “Healthcheck”
The Original Aim… • Problem-based learning • Website • Multiple “ways in” • Close relationship with “healthcheck”
The Actual Outcome… • Cold e-mails • Dozens of interested parties • Sustainability Café in U of Bristol
University of the West of England… • Economics Network • Ecological Economics PBL workbook • Food issues • Press release • Economics workshop / focus group
Leeds University… • Participatory methods • Town Council “trouble”
Cardiff University… • Centre for Education in the Built Environment • Architecture and Planning
Cardiff University… Consultation Event: October 2006
Cardiff University… Final Presentation: December 2006
Cardiff University… Spin offs – due 25th May 2007: • Thornbury Community Arts Venue • Land for Growing Food
University of Gloucestershire… • 1st year skills module • Town Council “trouble”Sustainable Thornbury • Question Time • Three batches: tours, conversations • Follow up session on 26th January
University of Gloucestershire, continued… Dr Arran Stibbe’s Sustainable Cities Module
Sustainable City Project… • …2008? • Independent study project, Level II • Work in partnership with school, NGO, local community group or University Estates Management • Piece of work that will contribute to Cheltenham or Gloucester becoming more sustainable
Sustainable City Project… • a short film, a report, a survey, a leaflet, a piece of artwork, a poster or other work • working with teachers to analyse how textbooks and literature used in the classroom represent the environment • working with tenants of council estates on environmental justice issues • surveying campus buildings in terms of energy efficiency • analysing the physical layout, textual representations of, and attitudes towards local parks, gardens and attractions • conducting stakeholder analysis to help local groups include ecological issues in their bids for heritage funding
Sustainable City Project… • helping to set up a campus biodiversity garden • the work done must be relevant to the students’ degrees • Learning outcomes • Assessment • List of resources
What could you do? • Given your discipline, what project ideas do you have? • Could you work with other disciplines? • How could you involve community groups? Let’s mingle…
Any Questions? • Our website: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd • Our e-mail: sustainability@heacademy.ac.uk • My e-mail: h.witham@bristol.ac.uk