The Canadian Educational Centre for Sustainability will be an International Centre for Excellence in education for sustainability.  Through the power of transformative education, the Centre aims at developing elegant solutions to the world’s complex environmental, social, and economic challenges, and inspire a new paradigm of intergenerational, holistic, systemic thinking.  Accordingly the Centre will break out of the traditional educational delivery system that is based on mechanistic principles.  From its philosophy through to its management/ organization, curricula and teaching/ learning approaches the Centre will model and teach sustainability at all levels of education encouraging ecological literacy, critical thinking and empowerment. 

This educational initiative aims at creating change based upon the model of sustainability where human society works within the bounds of the natural world, honouring and nourishing the systems that sustain us and all other life.  The economy is centred within society, servicing humans in harmony with the Earth.

Through the applications listed below, and in working with a network of partnering organizations, the Centre aims to re-envision and promote an ecologically based, socially just, economically prosperous society.  Reinforcing its educational message and approach, the Centre will model ecologically designed buildings, use state-of-the-art alternative energy sources, supported by local organic food.

Background and Need

The Centre motivates and empowers people through holistic, critical thinking to envision and create systemic changes necessary for a new societal worldview for a prosperous sustainable future.  As such, the Centre moves beyond the traditional, negatively oriented conservation stream that accepts the unsustainable status quo by working within it, mainly encouraging individuals to reduce/ reuse/ recycle, focusing on issues, and grafting educational initiatives onto unsustainable educational frameworks. 

As Einstein said, “Problems we face cannot be solved with the same level of thinking we used when we created them.”  The following quotes underline this point:

“It is absolutely essential to change the way we think.  All other attempts at change will fail if we do not transform our thinking…A proper understanding of the way the world works requires people to think systemically, holistically, integratively, and in a futures mode.”
Lester Millbrath (1996) ‘Envisioning a Sustainable Society’ p. 188, p.194

“There is a need to refocus many existing education policies, programs and practices so that they build concepts, skills, motivation and commitment needed for sustainable development.  Lifelong learning, including adult and community education, appropriate technical and vocational education, higher education and teacher education are all vital ingredients of capacity building for a sustainable future.” UNESCO (1997) Environment and Society: Education and public awareness for sustainability.  Background Paper prepared for UNESCO International Conference, Thessaloniki, 7

“In fact, sustainable development calls for additional and different processes than those traditionally thought of in education.  The quest for sustainability demands new approaches to involve people, rather than convey just a body of knowledge.”
Daniella Tillbury, Denise Hamu and Wendy Goldstein (2002) EarthYear Report, p. 12

Honouring the UN Decade of Sustainable Development, the Canadian Educational Centre for Sustainability is a needed, unique model and focal point for education for sustainability in Canada.  Similar initiatives, like the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE) in the United Kingdom, and the National Centre for Sustainability in Australia have demonstrated the importance of such a centre for excellence.  The Centre will be part of a Canadian and an international network of educational centres/ organizations of excellence that will work together in advancing new ideas for a bright sustainable future.

The Centre will also provide a much needed conference/ meeting space and focus point that models the message for the numerous youth, business, government and NGO conferences and initiatives in Canada. 

Specific Initiatives: Formal/ Non-Formal

Sustainability Think-Tank

The Centre will bring together cutting edge leaders in all sectors of society to form an inter-generational think-tank.  Not only will the Centre facilitate this visioning process, it will provide an opportunity for youth to observe these dialogues and then participate in an intergenerational exchange of ideas at the Centre itself as well as through IT facilities.  Building these networks will be key to developing meaningful initiatives and further learning opportunities.  These intergenerational dialogues will also provide youth with areas to focus on for career development as well as provide the catalyst to develop intergenerational mentorships.

Specialized Courses

The Centre will also bring in internationally recognized speakers to lead one to two week intensive courses on various themes or topics.  These will encourage multidisciplinary, systemic thinking to advance sustainability in areas such as business, agriculture, economics, education, recreation, building design, alternative energy, biomimicry or community development.  During these courses one night a week will offer a lecture/ workshop by the speakers-in-residence to the general public free of charge.

University/ College Degree courses

Based on the model of Learning Communities the Graduate and Undergraduate Degree Programs will develop learning for a sustainable future based on thematic, collaborative teaching/learning rather than traditionally discipline focused courses.  Through the exploration of a multidisciplinary topic throughout a term, students and professors will learn in context, develop deeper understanding and critical thinking skills while earning credits towards their Bachelor of Arts or Science degree or their Master’s degree.  In bridging theory and practice students learn to apply their ideas and theories and skills with real-world communities through program assignments or internships with a business, public agency or non-profit organization.  .

University Outreach 

The Centre will also provide options for students from other Canadian universities to take specialized courses or to do student-teaching internships at the Centre and model elementary/ secondary schools.  

K-12 Elementary/ Secondary Model School

Based on intergenerational, holistic, systems thinking the elementary/ secondary school will provide a model for moving beyond the current school system that continues to advance the dominant mechanistic societal worldview.  From its philosophical basis to its management structure, curriculum, teaching/ learning, buildings and grounds it will promote an ecologically sustainable society through immersion in the natural world; integrated, contextually relevant learning; critical thinking; and empowerment.

Network for Schools

The Centre will be a focal point providing a network for schools based on Sustainability.  It will offer consulting on setting up a school based on sustainability (incorporating organization/ management, curriculum development, teaching/ learning); professional development; and a support network to exchange ideas and developments opportunities.

Resource Centre

With its meeting facilities, library, multi-purpose educational workshops, gardens and an IT facility, the Centre also provides an excellent educational resource centre for the public and home-schooling families to pursue diverse, personal learning objectives. 

Professional Development/ Outreach

The Centre will provide outreach to the wider community through Consulting; an active Website and networking; and a focal point for a Think-tank on Sustainability.  The Centre will offer Consulting on all aspects of the Centre. This will include Education and Professional Development to all schools and educators and Youth Empowerment.  The model elementary, secondary and tertiary schools will be open for professional in-service opportunities and class visits/ exchanges.  The Centre will also promote various curriculum materials that encourage education for sustainability.

 Youth Empowerment

With intergenerational thinking as a fundamental principle, the Centre will encourage youth empowerment through specific youth workshops and conferences that develop intergenerational networks.  These will partner the enthusiasm and vision of youth with the wisdom and opportunities older generations can offer.  Through these intergenerational networks the Centre will also develop Mentorship opportunities for youth to develop sustainability initiatives they are passionate about and work or career placement opportunities and internships.

Conference facilities

As the Centre is designed as a multi-use facility, modelling ecological building designs and energy use, it offers a unique conference facility for special gatherings, retreats, or as an annual meeting facility for NGOs, government agencies, and businesses.  In modelling sustainability the Centre itself is a powerful educational facility that supports rather than subverts a sustainability philosophy and message.

Summer camps/retreats

The Centre will offer summer camps/ retreats for groups of all ages.  These will vary from specific focused retreats based on a particular theme or youth empowerment, to providing a facility for others to develop their own programs supported by the Centre and its staff.

Sustainability Festival

Each year the Centre will hold a Sustainability Festival in June to bring together industry, NGOs, educators and the public to celebrate sustainability initiatives and provide an educational platform for new developments.  It will specifically target all ages providing fun, educational learning opportunities in all sectors of sustainability.  This will attract the local communities as well as tourists and focus groups across the northwest.

Tourism

Being an ecologically designed facility in the heart of a pristine environment, the Centre will provide an excellent venue offering ecologically designed accommodation; a restaurant offering organic, locally grown food; educational tours and opportunities; and sustainable recreational opportunities such as hiking, cycling, sailing, kayaking, and canoeing.

More information to come! Please contact Liza Ireland for more details, and check back soon.