11th WEEC 2022: Panel Sessions

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The main theme at 11th WEEC in Prague is “Building bridges in times of climate urgency”. The Congress will help building bridges for all: between different approaches to Environmental Education and education for sustainable development across international boundaries.

During the Congress, you will have the opportunity to face this theme by 14 sub-themes:

  1. Action Competence and key competences for sustainability
  2. Arts, ethics and EE
  3. Business Sector and EE
  4. Climate Change Education
  5. Early Childhood Education: The Foundation of ESD
  6. Education for Environmental Citizenship
  7. EE in Non-Formal Settings
  8. EE in the Anthropocene
  9. Outdoor EE: Bridging Nature Experiences with School and Home
  10. Place-based Education (PBE)
  11. Sustainable Universities
  12. Transformative, Transgressive learning in communities
  13. Whole School Approaches to Environmental and Sustainability Education
  14. Water for life

To discover more about them, click here

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PAJEP Call for paper: nature animation and environmental education in France

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PAJEP, the Center for the conservation of archives of youth and popular education associations, organizes a call for paper. On 30th and 31th March 2022 the conference on History and archives of nature animation and environmental education in France in the years 1970 -1990 will take place. This event will bring together several partners and environmental education networks.

The event is conceived as the culmination of a study cycle on the theme of the history of nature-environment animation in those years. It aims to open up new avenues, to identify researchers in this field and to attempt a first synthesis of elements collected since 2016 within the framework of 6 preparatory study days.

The colloquium will bring together archivists, researchers and actors (activists and representatives of associations); this call for paper is therefore addressed to all of these networks. The organizers expect contributions from sociology, anthropology, environmental sciences, science and technology of physical and sports activities, etc.

You have time until 19th April 2021 to submit your paper

 

For further information about how to submit a paper and on the conference, click here

Discover all the proposals for a field session

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At the field sessions – ten sessions, organized by nine Czech environmental education centers – as a participant, you may engage in sharing your experience about environmental education in contemporary zoological gardens, discuss the challenges of inquiry-based learning programs and you may enjoy discussions in smaller groups of people of the same interest in non-formal settings and find new partners for your future projects

4 field sessions will take place in Prague, 6 in the environmental education centers out of Prague, which also offers great opportunity to explore the host country.
5 field sessions include overnight followed by a trip with local environmental educators. Participants thus will have opportunity to explore landscapes, landmarks and tastes of Bohemian Paradise, Moravian karst, Krkonoše mountains, Brno and Bohemian – Moravian highland.

Let’s have a look!

Participative approaches in environmental education at schools
 What are the benefits of emancipatory, participative approaches in EE? And what happens if you introduce highly participatory program such as Eco-Schools to a school system which is instrumental at its core? We will be discussing how we can promote participative learning in traditional schooling settings, the culture clashes we can expect and possible outcomes we can get in the long run.
Contributions: 10 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice regarding instrumental vs. emancipatory approaches in education, involving participants in a programme, enabling students to play active and influential role in shaping environmental education.

Organizing institution: TEREZA educational centre, one of the oldest environmental education NGOs in the Czech Republic. Current focus of the institution is on coordination and development of long-term programmes for schools: Eco-Schools, GLOBE, Learning about Forest (LEAF) and Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE). TEREZA also promotes outdoor learning, both towards teachers and parents. TEREZA is the Czech representative at the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and hosts the GLOBE Program Region Coordination Office for Europe and Eurasia.

Schools as enviromental campaigners
When teachers and pupils really get and believe environmental message, they often become agents of change. From identifying and solving local environmental issues to bringing attention and discussing the global ones, schools can reach and educate the whole communities. How can we help them develop their most active roles?
Contributions: 10 – 30 minutes contributions on schools as centres of local environmental campaigns and agents of global ones. Roles of different stakeholders, legal issues, curricular links. Both research and good practice are welcomed. It is organised by TEREZA.

Animal farming in environmental education and animal welfare concerns
We will be discussing, what is the effect of direct contact of children with animals. Does livestock has a role in environmental education and what are relevant animal welfare concerns? How to develop programmes that include domestic animals?
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice in connecting children with farming and livestock. Environmental education effects and concerns regarding animal welfare during these activities will be discussed.
Organizing institution: Toulcův dvůr, environmental education centre. It is the largest environmental education centre in Prague. It is located in a farm estate that dates back to 1362 and includes farmland with livestock, orchard and several natural habitats on the 10 ha estate. Four NGOs provide wide range of environmental education activities including programmes for schools, past-time clubs for children and parents, nature kindergarten and teachers’ training.

Folk traditions and traditional crafts in environmental education
Traditional crafts are popular topic of environmental education programmes in countries like the Czech Republic. During this field session we will be discussing why is that, what is the contribution of traditions to environmental education – is it just dreaming about unreal past or a cornerstone of the sustainable future? Do traditional crafts programmes represent opposition to 21st century technologies and why do we cherish them?
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on the topic of traditional crafts and folk traditions in environmental education. Both research and good practice are welcomed.
It i orgnised by Toulcův dvůr, environmental education centre

Learning by Nature
The field session will be looking at outdoors as a way to understanding, perception and appraisal of the environment. In particular we will explore different aspects of outdoor education within formal environmental education and methodology for outdoor education.
Social dimension: participants will be staying overnight and socializing at Jezírko residential centre located near Brno. Visit to Brno historical centre is planned for Friday morning.
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice in the wide topic of environmental education at schools in outdoor settings.
Organizing institution: Lipka, environmental education centre. Lipka is one of the largest environmental education institutions in the Czech Republic. It runs 5 facilities providing one-day programmes, residential courses and adult education. Its clients range from pre-schoolers to high-school teachers, professionals as well as general public. Summer camps and non-formal education clubs are important part of Lipka’s scope of activities.

Alienation from nature
The field session will be looking at forms of children alienation from nature and its consequences for education. Particular attention will be paid to the role of environmental education programmes with ambition to mitigate the process.
Social dimension: Participants socializing in the unique environment of a fully equipped outdoor camp and staying overnight in bungalows. Guided tour through the famous gorges and rock sculptures of the Bohemian Paradise will take place on Friday morning.
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice in the wide topic of alienation from nature.
Organizing institutions: STŘEVLIK and SEDMIHORKY.  STŘEVLIK is the environmental education centre of the Liberec regional government. The field session is held in cooperation with the Centre of environmental education Sedmihorky, which is located in the heart of the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area. Both partners run a variety of residential environmental education programs aimed at appreciation of the natural environment and targeting alienation from nature.

Nature and Community as the Best Classrooms – Place-based learning and service learning as a tool for responsible environmental behaviour
We will jointly discuss and share practice in place-based learning and service learning as tools for responsible environmental behaviour. Expect case studies from the local landscape – Czech oldest national park Krkonoše.
Contributions: 15 – 20 minutes contributions on research and examples of good practice on principles and methodologies of place-based learning and its benefits for sustainability education.
Social dimension: Participants will be staying overnight in a former parish house from late 16th century that belongs to the centre. Hiking to special places of the Czech-Polish Krkonoše mountains national park is planned for Friday. It will be offered in options adapted to weather, interests and physical abilities of participants.
Organizing institution: SEVER – The Rýchory Centre of Environmental Education and Ethics. SEVER operates 3 facilities in the northern part of Bohemia. The centre in Horní Maršov organizes both one-day and residential programmes for primary and secondary schools using the local landscape of the Krkonoše mountains that underwent significant changes in 20th century. SEVER also offers wide range of courses, seminars, consultations for educators and is one of the most prolific Czech EE organisations regarding international cooperation.

EE in modern ZOO
The field session will be looking at the role of ZOOs in environmental education. Is this a contradiction in terms, or do zoos provide excellent setting for environmental programmes due to their role in conservation of endangered species? Join us for the discussion and local case studies.
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice on the role of ZOOs in environmental education.
Organizing institution: DIVIZNA. It is a municipal environmental education centre in Liberec that operates along with a ZOO. The centre offers educational programmes for all types of schools, supports teachers in their environmental education effort and coordinates several programmes at regional level.

School gardens and school forests
Being introduced to curricula of many European countries in 19th century, the school gardens were considered important outdoor laboratories introducing children to biology, agriculture and working skills. During the workshop we will be discussing rejuvenation of school gardens and their role in environmental education today. The local case study, will also look at schools taking care of forests.
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice in the field of schools gardens or similar incorporation of long-term land management into curricula.
Social dimension: participants will be staying overnight in a former forestry lodge dating back to 18th century. Visit do Telč UNESCO heritage town is planned for Friday morning on the way back to Prague.
Organizing institution: Chaloupky. It is one of the oldest residential environmental education centres in the Czech Republic. Today it operates 7 facilities across the Vysočina region – picturesque highland landscape in the centre of the country. The centre provides environmental education programmes for all ages, supports teachers both at regional and national level, pioneers garden therapy and is also involved in hands-on conservation of several natural sites.

Inquiry based environmental education
We will be discussing contribution of experiential scientific learning to environmental education. What are the variables that turn a field course into a memorable experience with real impact on environmental understanding? Does understanding of science help in solving environmental problems?
Contributions: 15 – 30 minutes contributions on research and good practice in the field of inquiry based education, development of critical thinking and scientific skills.
Social dimension: participants will be staying overnight in a former mill established in 18th century, destructed in WWII, ruined by communists and rejuvenated by scouts. Expect non-formal talk at a campfire near places where hunters lived 14 thousands years ago. Visit to popular Punkva Caves or real caving experience are options for Friday morning.
Organizing institution: Kaprálův mlýn, Scout Environmental Education Centre. It is a leading SCENES centre (Scout Centres of Excellence for Nature, Environment and Sustainability). It is located in the Moravian karst with caves, underground rivers and 10 other habitats at its doorsteps. The centre focuses on inquiry based programmes for high-schoolers both in local nature and using its eco-friendly venue packed with ecotechnologies. Both professional staff and international volunteers operate the centre.

Field sessions: a new format for the 11WEEC

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The 11th WEEC wants to be a bridge between the theory and the practice. In addition to parallel sessions shaped by researchers and scholars, we offer ten sessions, organized by nine Czech environmental education centers. At the field sessions, Congress participants may spend 1-2 days in urban or outdoor centers by discussing a broad scale of topics defined by the practitioners.
As a participant, you may engage in sharing your experience about environmental education in contemporary zoological gardens,  discuss the challenges of inquiry-based learning programs, get involved in the topic “Folk traditions and traditional crafts in environmental education”, or to the other fascinating topics.
Finally yet importantly, you may enjoy discussions in smaller groups of people of the same interest in non-formal settings and find new partners for your future projects.

4 field sessions will take place in Prague, 6 in the environmental education centers out of Prague, which also offers great opportunity to explore the host country. 5 field sessions include overnight followed by a trip with local environmental educators. Participants thus will have opportunity to explore landscapes, landmarks and tastes of Bohemian Paradise, Moravian karst, Krkonoše mountains, Brno and Bohemian – Moravian highland.

The field sessions are all-inclusive and the price covers transport, catering and the programme on site. Accommodation during 2-day sessions is € 29.

Read more about all the themes and organisers here  and look for your favorite one!

The 11th WEEC will be On-Site and On-Line

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For the first time in its history, the World Environmental Education Congress is offering an opportunity to also participate in the online environment. The difficult pandemic situation shifted most of the environmental and sustainability education events to cyberspace in 2020, and while it is reasonable to expect that the situation will improve in the 2021, the on-line alternative seems to have become a new standard.
In light of this, we have decided to offer an on-line option for those who cannot come to Prague.

Options:
– On-site participation is full participation. Participants who choose on-site participation get a full version of the congress (plenary and parallel sessions, field sessions and field trips). Moreover, they will have full access to all parts of the online platform, so they can access the congress materials a long time before and after the congress dates.
– On-site participation supports networking. Most of the congress time is organized in smaller thematic groups to promote meeting and networking with participants with the same interests. If you are interested in meeting new people, in-depth discussion, and starting new cooperation, then the on-site option is better for you.
– On-site participation is place-based and experiential. Field sessions and field trips are an important part of the congress. If you want to imagine how to link a place with the practice of environmental and sustainability education, if you want to enjoy informal chatting with people from environmental education centres, to get direct experience, then you should come to Prague.

Both on-site and on-line are safe.
Based on the experts, the pandemic situation should be resolved by the middle of 2021, when the vaccination is supposed to be in wide use throughout the population. We hope that lock-downs and travel restrictions will be a distant memory by the end of this year. Nevertheless, we will adopt strict precautions to make the congress as safe as possible.

On-line participation is more convenient, less expensive, and environmentally-friendly. Despite its clear disadvantages, on-line participation will bring you the meaningful option of participating from your home, with no travel costs and a small discount. While we have adopted a set of measures to minimize the environmental impact of the congress (we will be supplied with organic food from local sources, we will be almost paper-less, and we will offer a CO2 offset), it is clear that not to come always has less environmental impact than to come.
Please, consider your reasons for participation: if you just want a basic picture of the trends in the research and practice of ESE, if you are not pursuing new professional contacts, if you have a limited budget, perhaps the on-line option is better for you.

Notice: If you participate on-site, you will get full access to the on-line platform too. If you participate on-line, you have full access to the on-line platform.

Read here for more information

Call for interview with Prairie Climate Center

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The Prairie Climate Center  is looking for teachers from all over Canada and who teaches every age group to do an online interview about their online resource, Climate Atlas of Canada.

The interview will last about 1 hour. No previous experience with Climate Atlas of Canada is required. You will be asked about the browsing experience on their site to give a  feedback in real time.

You can find all the details in the image below.

 

Better Ocean Data for a Better Environment with SOFAR Ocean

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The Ocean is key to our life. It regulates the climate system, it produces more than 70% of the oxygen we breathe thanks to sea plants and provides us food. For these reasons, it’s very important to get to know it better in order to protect it and to manage it in a more sustainable way.

A company from San Francisco, SOFAR Ocean has a clear mission: “We connect the world’s oceans to provide insights to science, society, and industry for a more sustainable planet”.

The main goal of the company is to create data-abundant ocean to raise awareness of the risks connected to climate change, to generate a better understanding of the ocean environment and contribute to a more sustainable planet. They developed a real-time ocean weather sensor network, inspired to the way marine mammals communicate, which is able to provide data, information and forecasts about marine weather .

According to A. Reynard, writer of the article “Mitigating Climate Change: It Starts With Better Ocean Data”,  better ocean data are fundamental. The ocean has a key role in mitigating the effects of human emissions, but now this is resulting in rising sea levels, acidification and extreme weather events.

To mitigate these effects and reduce our carbon footprint we need more affordable and open data and a unified approach.

Read here the full article.

Education for achieving Sustainable Development Goals

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The UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (17-19 May 2021) is organized by UNESCO in cooperation with and supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, and with the German Commission for UNESCO as advisory partner.

This year the Conference wants to address the challenges the climate crisis and Covid-19 brought to the attention and equip learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to contribute to a more sustainable world. In 2017, ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) was recognized by UN General Assembly as an integral element of the SDGs on quality education and a key enabler of all the other SDGs.

The goal of the Conference is to create a momentum for the new framework ESD for 2030 (that focuses on streamlining ESD with Agenda 2030) to achieve the SDGs within the next 10 years and to build education systems that support learners of all ages to be responsible and active contributors to more sustainable societies and a healthy planet.

The Conference will take place on a participatory online platform. The format of the virtual Conference will include interactive plenaries for debate and dialogue and concurrent sessions for in-depth discussion, online-workshops, virtual exhibitions and digital networking opportunities. Interaction will be key to the whole programme in order to provide a learning experience for all.

Further information on participation and how to register for the Conference will be soon available on UNESCO website.

In preparation of the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, you can participate to the pre-conference workshops to April 2021.

Subscribe now to EECOM 2021

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Early registration is now open for EECOM2021.  This year, for the first time the largest National Environmental Education conference in Canada will take place online from 21-24 April 2021.

Teachers, students, classes, community organizations and parents will be welcomed. The Conference will begin on April 21 with a research symposium with some of the most eminent researchers and teachers in Canada and around the world. The following 3 days there will be dynamic sessions and workshops focused on four themes: the city as a classroom, indigenous education, eco-justice education and education relating to water.

There will be 3 opening presentations: Larissa Crawford on Earth Day, indigenous artists Christi Belcourt and Isaac Murdoch and Julian Agyeman on climate justice and more than 100 presenters over more than 70 sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to socialize with other members of EECOM community during the “Green Night”.

To find more about the program and to register, click here and for the english form here

Find out how sustainable Prague is!

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The historic european city that will host the 11th World Environmental Education Congress is in continuous evolution. Prague is “striving to become a greener destination for visitors and a more sustainable city for its residents” (Sustain Europe, Prague: The City of a Hundred Spires).

The Sustainable Development Goals 2020 Index ranks countries around the world based on their performance on the 17 SDGs. In 2020 Czech Republic was at 8th place and Prague is already a green city, easy to walk and with a good public transport system.

The city is definitely committed to sustainability, thanks to its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. There are some interesting aspects of sustainability in the city: from green spaces, to circular economy, waste management, mobility, food and so on.

Based on the Green Cities Index, Prague is the city with the highest percentage of green space per person. The City has a Tree Planting Action Plan that aims to plant 1 million new trees (beeches, oaks, firs, pine and larches) in the next eight-years in urban and open spaces to improve the microclimate and to prevent soil erosion.

Prague is also trying to make its Airport greener, by working on carbon neutrality. To achieve this goal, the Airport is considering the purchase of 100% green electricity, together with carbon offsetting projects. They even installed 5 beehives in the Airport to biomonitoring air quality.

The City is working on the transition to a circular economy, signing the European Circular Cities Declaration and managing waste production by reducing waste generation. City-wide biowaste collection and a pilot kitchen waste collection scheme are some of the interventions to reduce waste production by 50% by 2030.

For what concerns food resources, Prague aims to count on local farmland and vineyards to feed the city.  As for mobility in the capital, the public transport system is already extensive and cheap to use, but most commuters from suburban areas use private cars. For this reason, Prague has approved a Sustainable Mobility Plan that includes the introduction of electric buses, the extension of tramlines, the implementation of cycling paths and the construction of Park & Ride, Bike & Ride and Kiss & Ride facilities. Prague has also sustainable solutions for around the city, such as electric cruisers for trips along the Vtlava River or e-bikes.

To know more about sustainable planning and solutions in Prague, see Prague Adaptation Strategy here.

To see more about 11th WEEC, visit weec2022.org. We are looking forward to seeing you in Prague!

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