ADULT & COMMUNITY LEARNING
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP (ESDGC) TOOLKIT
CONTENTS
SECTION ITEM PAGE
1 What is Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship? 3
2 Importance of ESDGC 4
3 ESDGC in Adult & Community Education 5
4 The seven themes of ESDGC 7
5 Examples Of ESDGC In Key Subject Areas 9
6 How to be Sustainable at Work 15
7 How to be Sustainable at Home 17
8 Planning Sustainable Events 18
9 Sustainable Travel 21
10 Bimonthly Themes 22
· Energy & Water
· Waste Minimisation
· Transport
· Health
· Climate Change
· Buying Locally
11 Resources Available 28
12 Glossary of ESDGC Terms 31
SECTION 1
What is Sustainable Development?
“The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations.”
What is Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship?
“Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship (ESDGC) enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions about the way we do things individually and collectively, both locally and globally, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.”
UK panel for ESDGC, Welsh Assembly Government
Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship is about:
· The links between society, economy and environment and our own lives and those of people throughout the world.
· The needs and rights of both present and future generations.
· The relationship between power, resources and human rights.
· The local and global implications of everything we do and the actions that individuals can take in response to local and global issues.
It’s not an individual subject, it’s an ethos that can be embedded through a subject, an attitude to be adopted and a new way of life.
Why develop an ESDGC Adult Community Learning toolkit.
The Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship Toolkit for Adult Community Learning has been developed to support ACL managers incorporating ESDGC into the ethos, pedagogy and organisation of the network and to support tutors incorporating ESDGC into their work programme and subject areas.
The ESDGC Toolkit for Adult Community Learning has been developed by the CCBC Education for Sustainable Development Officer with support from the ESDGC Youth & Adult Steering Group. We wish you every success in using this toolkit. If you require any additional information please contact Tracy Evans at
SECTION 2
Importance of Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship
Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship (ESDGC) can be about energy usage, water usage, travel & transport, waste minimisation and recycling, environmental management, local areas & the local environment, management of grounds, quality of life, health and well being, life satisfaction, life expectancy, work life balance, buying locally, Fairtrade, food miles, race equality, prejudice, discrimination, cultural diversity, music/ arts, biodiversity, ecology, healthy living, thinking about the causes & consequences of actions, consuming less resources, health & safety, involvement in your local community, volunteering and much much more.
Everything we do has an impact on the world around us. The individual choices we make in our everyday lives have implications for the environment, society and economy.
· We’re running out of space, creating more waste, running out of natural resources, consuming more and more and over consuming in richer countries while the poverty increases in the poorer countries.
· We need to be mindful of what we buy and consume on a day-to-day basis to ensure we support local businesses and Fairtrade where possible.
· Our use of fossil fuels is creating an increase in the levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, contributing to the climate change.
Sustainability isn’t just about large projects and plans. Everyone can contribute by making small but significant changes in the way they live and work.
SECTION 3
Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship in Adult & Community Education:
ESDGC should be viewed in a holistic way and mainstreamed into the practice and running of the whole institution or organisation so that sustainable development and global citizenship are part of the whole ethos.
ESDGC should be incorporated into the training programmes for adult education for both part time and full time staff. Key actions should focus on raising awareness at a strategic level and through training to all course planners.
ESDGC needs to be mainstreamed into the practice and management of the educational establishment. It should be embraced within all aspects of work, pedagogy, research and infrastructure.
ESDGC should be incorporated into the strategic planning with the aim of embedding it into adult education courses.
Opportunities for networks to support ESDGC in adult education include:
Recommendations for the Adult & Community Education Sectors
ESDGC can be split into 5 areas to ensure it is taken forward in a strategic approach, which is detailed in the Welsh Assembly Government ESD & GC Strategy. These 5 key areas are commitment and leadership, teaching and learning, institutional management, partnerships and research and monitoring. Examples of each are shown below:
Commitment & leadership
· Adult Education – Develop guidance to incorporate ESDGC into various subject areas.
· Community Education – Guidance to embed ESDGC in all areas.
Teaching & learning
· Adult Education – Incorporate into tutor’s training programme, ESDGC guidance for tutors.
· Community Education – Integrate ESDGC into subject areas, raise awareness and understanding of ESDGC to tutors.
Institutional management
· Adult Education – Needs a holistic approach, develop sustainable environmental management system (improve sustainability of institution), curriculum planning to improve energy efficiency.
· Community Education – Sustainable management (waste management/ recycling/ use of buildings & materials/ sustainable procurement/ transport/).
Partnerships
· Adult Education – Raise awareness of ESDGC to all members, connect with local/ global issues and develop links with officers providing support on ESDGC.
· Community Education – Develop partnerships with external ESDGC specialists to help them develop internal projects/ initiatives.
Research & monitoring
· Adult Education – ESDGC audit, future targets, long term plans.
· Community Education – Audit of ESDGC provision, future planning to expand ESDGC awareness and understanding.
What does ESDGC actually mean for Adult Community Learning Centres?
For students, ESDGC is about:
· Being encouraged to care for themselves, care for each other and care for their environment.
· The issues they have a right to know about for their future.
· Appreciating their role in the community (locally and globally).
· Discovering that there are connections to the ‘bigger picture’ of the wider world, whatever they are studying.
· Gaining skills and exploring issues so they can make up their own minds about how to act in their personal and professional lives.
For tutors, ESDGC is about:
· A holistic approach to education.
· Preparing learners for new challenges.
· Developing learner’s worldviews to recognise the complex interrelated nature of their world and the world of work.
· An approach to teaching and learning to which every subject/ course can contribute.
· Build skills to enable learners to think critically and laterally for themselves.
For Centre managers, ESDGC is about:
· Part of the ethos, pedagogy and organisation of the centre.
· How the centre is run and managed.
· Something that requires centres to ‘DO’ as well as ‘TEACH’.
· Something that requires coordination across the whole centre.
· Something that ESTYN will look at as part of the inspection framework.
· Undertaking an audit to identify current ESDGC activity and examine opportunities to expand ESDGC into all curriculum areas.
· Incorporate ESDGC into the tutor handbook and training sessions.
· Putting systems, policies and procedures in place to manage environmental impacts.
SECTION 4
The seven themes of ESDGC and an example of the issues associated with them.
Identity and Culture
· Personal and regional histories
· Welsh heritage and language
· How identities and cultures influence actions and communities
· The impact of cultures in Wales and other places
· Challenging stereotypes
· Recognise that people hold different values
· Recognise and challenge discrimination and prejudice in an appropriate way
· Peaceful resolution of differences
The Natural Environment
· Biodiversity
· Endangered species
· Conservation and restoration of habitats
· Human dependence on eco systems and the interdependence of eco systems
· The impact of human activity including conflicts on the natural environment, gene banks and genetic modification
· Stewardship of resources and habitats
· The role of the natural environment in relation to quality of life
Wealth and Poverty
· Levels of wealth and poverty
· The gap between the rich and poor, locally and globally
· Quality of life – is it improved by money
· The interdependent causes and impacts of poverty
· Mitigation
· How wealth is created and perceived, including the real value of goods, services and relationships
· Globalisation, Fairtrade
· The right of future generations to access resources
Health
· The importance of caring for yourself and for others
· The relationship between health and quality of life
· Nutrition and sources of food
· The impact of drug abuse on individuals and others
· The value of different relationships including family, sexual and professional
· The impact of the environment on health
· The importance of access to clean water
Climate Change
· The scientific evidence relating to climate change
· The greenhouse effect
· Global warming
· The causes of climate change
· The potential impacts and the uncertainty of predictions
· Preventative and adaptive responses
· The impact of the individual and the community
· The impact on future generations
Consumption and Waste
· Renewable and non renewable resources
· Energy, food and water, sustainable design and sustainable materials
· The waste hierarchy
· Ecological footprints
· Supply chains, transport, pollution
· The rights of future generations to a good quality of life
· Advertising and peer pressure
· Quality of life versus standard of living
· Reassessing values
· Resolving conflicts over resources
Choices and Decisions
· Democratic and non-democratic decision making at different levels from different groups
· How to participate in decision making at different levels
· How to present a point of view
· The interconnected consequences of decision making
· The role of governments and how to be a participant in a civil society
SECTION 5
Examples Of ESDGC In Key Subject Areas
The following are examples of how ESDGC can be incorporated into a variety of subject areas. The list is not exhaustive, the aim is to embed ESDGC into what you are already doing instead of looking at it as an ‘add on’ subject.
Art & Crafts:
Design and Technology:
· Students’ have the opportunity to design and create products and consider how certain products affect peoples’ lives.
· Compare current designs to designs used years ago, looking at the differences, reasons why and possible implications on the community, economy and environment.
· Students can learn about renewable and non-renewable sources of materials, the lifecycle of certain products and the level of energy used and waste produced in the manufacturing process.
· Investigate how a local area could be managed sustainably.
Art/ Pottery/ Dress Making:
· Studying art provides students with opportunities to use different media, tools and equipment to explore and make different images, objects and artefacts, and to understand the importance and diversity of different social and cultural contexts.
· Students can experiment with recycled and reused materials, they can develop their own painting materials using natural materials and they can create visual art to promote sustainable lifestyles.
· Discussions can contribute to teamwork, communication and conflict skills.
Music:
· Music has the potential to contribute to global citizenship if tutors plan a rich diet or repertoire of music from around the world. Students relate music, where appropriate, to its social, historical and/or cultural background.
· Understanding that music moves people, respecting diversity (and similarity) of music across cultures and traditions. Could have the opportunity to express their feelings about issues through music.
· Social benefits of participating in a musical group activity.
Photography:
· Provides the opportunity to capture images portraying sustainable development & global citizenship.
· Students can capture images of local areas, which could be used for topical environmental or sustainable discussions.
· Images could be used to monitor the sustainability of the centre over a specific time period.
· An image can be used to encourage people to change their behaviour.
Sport/ Exercise:
· Promoting health and well-being.
· Engaging with local groups and communities and promoting the benefits of leading an active lifestyle.
· Encourages individuals to participate in teamwork and engage with people of different ages and backgrounds.
· Helps keep the body and mind active.
Languages:
· Local and global issues can be incorporated into various language courses.
· Students can develop an understanding of the countries and communities that speak the language being taught. They can use authentic materials, interact with local communities, find out more about the culture and communicate with native speakers.
· Respecting and valuing other peoples’ languages, values and ways of life.
Hairdressing:
· Safe storage and disposal of chemicals.
· Consequences of incorrect disposal and the effect it can have on the environment.
· Use, storage and disposal of products including aerosol sprays, exploring more environmentally friendly options.
· Monitoring resources such as paper and other materials that could be recycled.
· Legal and financial rights and responsibilities.
· Precautions or safety measures which should be taken in a working environment, how to work safely and within the law.
· Supporting community (might be the only contact some people have).
Information and Communication Technology:
· Students can develop the skills and understanding to prepare themselves for involvement in a rapidly changing world.
· Students can investigate the ways in which IT is driving new forms of globalisation and global communication and understand the impact of IT on the world.
· Innovative technologies to reduce carbon footprints.
· Green IT and sustainable computing technologies.
· Mobile working technologies.
· Recycling and reuse of equipment.
· Impacts of ICT on individuals, communities and society.
· Ethical implications of access to and use of ICT.
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment
· New build housing, zero carbon from 2016 – green and energy efficient homes.
· Energy efficient buildings.
· Energy conservation.
· Alternative energy sources.
· Waste management.
· Water use and conservation.
· Use of sustainable building materials.
Adult Basic Skills:
Business Studies:
· Students can appreciate the perspectives of a range of stakeholders in relation to the environment, individuals, society, government and enterprise.