RCE Greater Portland 2015 Annual Report

1. Name of RCE:RCE Greater Portland

2. Continent:North and Central America

3. Country:United States

4. Upload Map:

5. Date of RCE Acknowledgement:December 29, 2013

6. Short description of RCE:RCE Greater Portland is a is a multi-sector network of educators, students, non-profits, political and industry leaders, organizations, and community members collaborating to promote sustainability education in the Portland Metro region, including Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington.

7. Vision of the RCE:RCE Greater Portland envisions a healthy, just, and thriving region where education for sustainability is prioritized and integrated across sectors; and where everyone has opportunities to shape a sustainable future.

8. Added Value of RCE work:Bridging local and global perspectives on SDEngaging with transformative learning and research for SDEnabling policy formulation and/or institutional changeContributing to community engagementContributing to capacity development of stakeholders and partners

If you identify any other type of added value, please specify in the explanation field:We connect diverse organizations in a collaborative network that multiplies our collective capacity to educate for a more sustainable future. We are committed to creating a progressive, egalitarian governance model that reflects our values, supports collaboration among our partners, identifies committee structures and pathways that facilitate implementation of our objectives, distributes authority and decision-making across the network, and honors the volunteer efforts of our members.

9. Organization hosting RCE Secretariat:Non-profit

Other (please clarify):

10. RCE Mailing Address for correspondence:Kim Smith Portland Community College Sylvania - SS 201 12000 SW 49th Ave Portland, OR 97219 USA

11. RCE Website:www.gpsen.org

12. RCE Contact Details (Main RCE Contact, Secondary RCE Contact, General RCE Email)Main RCE Contact:Kim SmithSecondary RCE Contact:Lin Harmon-Walker

General RCE Email:kdsmith@pcc.edu

13. Leadership and Governance structure: Please describe the governance structure of your RCE and how leadership is distributed:We strive to organize our RCE as an inclusive network, inviting all stakeholders and members to find ways to engage, provide input on policies and projects, and develop innovative means and resources to support the sustainability education missions of their communities and organizations. We have a Coordinator, with part-time funding, a coordinating committee that meets monthly, 4 subcommittees (Governance, Programs and Events, Outreach and Communications, Research and Curriculum), and working groups that work on tasks for each of the subcommittees. We implement collaborative action plans with objectives that align with our vision, values, and the Global Action Programme on ESD.

14. List the core partners of your RCEs and their roles:14. List of Core Partners of your RCEs and their roles:

Organization: Portland Community College

Role: Higher Education host

Main Contact: Kim Smith

Organization: Portland State University

Role: College Student Network

Secondary Contact: Heather Spalding

Organization: Community Energy Project

Role: Think Tank

Main Contact: Sherrie Pelsma place? Please name practices and channels:

15. How does the exchange between your partners take place? Please name practices and channels.Channel/practice: We send a monthly newsletter to our listserv of members, which highlight news, RCE and partner events, ESD workshops, and funding and curriculum resources. We host quarterly stakeholder meetings, where we discuss policies and highlight partners. We host regular networking socials to allow members to meet each other. We also co-host events, which achieve shared ESD goals. We have started a Think Tank to move our research efforts forward. We are developing a Partner Pledge on our website, where partners can identify their goals and the resources they can contribute to the RCE.

Target group/network: RCE Greater Portland (aka the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network [GPSEN]) is a growing network of regional educators, students, non-profits, political and industry leaders, organizations, and community members collaborating to promote sustainability education in the Portland Metro region, including Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties, in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington. We have over 140 organizational partners and over 400 individual member on our listserv, along with over 250 people who like our Facebook page.

Reference/website: www.gpsen.org

https://www.facebook.com/RCE.GreaterPortland/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

16. If your RCE changed the direction of its work, or redefined its objectives or targets, please describe when, how and why this shift happened (200 words):We decided this year to become independent from Portland Community College (PCC) and become a non-profit, along with creating our own website and charging partner fees. We are in the process of this transition and are grateful for the incubation support that PCC has provided over the last two years.

Our objectives remain relatively consistent, although we have refined them to be aligned more clearly with the Global Action Programme, in order to focus our efforts on meeting the five Priority Action Areas.

17. Please describe your main strategies for the RCE actions (Character count 300 words):Goal 1. Continuously build and maintain a vibrant and diverse regional cross-sector network of individuals and organizations advancing education for sustainability together

Objective A. Establish partnerships that facilitate inclusive and culturally diverse participation and collaboration across sectors and organizationsObjective B. Convene events where everyone is welcome to discuss and share ideas related to ESD and social equity issuesObjective C. Share research and innovative practices in ESD to promote partnerships, learning, whole institution approaches, and advancements across the regionObjective D. Model our values in our GPSEN practices and processes

Goal 2. Advance the development of lifelong sustainability learning opportunities in formal, non-formal, and informal education, training, and public awarenessObjective A. Develop and provide access to an array of ESD information and resources through online platformsObjective B. Create and promote ESD programming and curriculum that meet the needs and skill sets of a diverse audienceObjective C. Create and support opportunities for ESD capacity-building and workforce development

Goal 3. Increase public awareness about regional sustainability issues and the role of ESD in shaping a healthy, just, and thriving future Objective A. Develop and implement outreach strategies that raise public awareness and increase involvement in ESDObjective B. Create opportunities for public dialogue on ESD policies and issues

Goal 4. Support capacity building to develop global citizens who will steward our region for current and future generations and foster trust and healthy relationships in communitiesObjective A. Offer leadership development and engagement opportunities Objective B. Create and promote ESD service-learning projectsObjective C. Develop networks that empower and mobilize youth to engage in their communities

Goal 5. Identify and secure funding sources to support resource development and staff capacity to achieve the mission of the RCEObjective A. Work with the Development Committee to identify priorities and opportunitiesObjective B. Hire staff to meet operational needs

18. Please describe your RCE’s main results and achievements over the course of this year (character count 500 words):1) Governance development:

a) Engagement of committees and working groups to develop objectives and annual plan, via two facilitated retreats

b) Creation of a Development Committee to write grant applications and establish our new partnership model.

c) Program Review from a Project Management class

d) Research on RCE Governance Structures, with Kyoko Shiota

2) Innovative cross-sector partnerships and projects that support transformative education and research:

a) Creation of a Think Tank

b) Native American Talking Circle

c) Development of questions for International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) certification test

d) Earth Week events at Portland Community College: Indigenous Wisdom Lecture by Ilarion Merculieff, GPSEN ESD presentation, and Earth Day Fair

e) Development of sustainability modules with Heroic Imagination Project

f) Creation of College Student Network

g) NWEI Eco-Challenge

h) Kim Smith serves on AASHE’s Board of Directors

i) Collaboration with US Partnership for ESD to write U.S. Report on ESD and Global Action Programme

3) Media and Outreach:

a) New GPSEN website created with a student intern

b) Management of MailChimp listserv

c) Update monthly newsletter with student intern

d) GPSEN Facebook page

e) Meetings with Outreach committee

f) Over 60 meetings with potential partners

4) Grant funding received to create an ESD Asset Map

5) Professional development opportunities and summits for ESD students, educators, and providers:

a) Attendance at the 9th Global RCE Conference, in Okayama, Japan

b) Earth Care Summit (outreach and attend)

c) Economics of Happiness Conference (co-sponsor, outreach, tabling, and participants)

d) Oregon Environmental Education Association Conference (outreach and presentation)

e) Global Sustainable Self Conference (attend, with creation of a Think Tank)

f) Eco-Psychology Summit (outreach and presentation)

g) GoGreen Business Conference (co-sponsor, outreach, tabling, and attend)

h) Lewis & Clark Environmental Symposium (outreach and presentation)

i) Civic Engagement and SDGs webinars for AASHE (outreach and presentation)

j) ESD Workshop at AASHE conference, with Charles Hopkins and Philip Vaughter (outreach and presentation)

6) Events and opportunities for networking, idea-sharing, and policy discussions:

a) Quarterly stakeholder meetings

b) Meetings with local, regional and national politicians, with support from Charles Hopkins

c) Attendance at partner fundraisers

d) Meetings with PCC’s Sustainability Leadership Council

e) Co-host release of “Planetary” movie

f) UN Day and the Launch of the SDGs

g) Attendance by Kim Smith at the RCEs of the America's meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in August, 2015.

7) Community projects and service-learning: Participation of 11 students and community members in Hands on Greater Portland's E4 Sustainability TeamWorks service team, with 6 different educational and service events.

19. How have the RCE and its projects benefited from being linked to UNU and RCE Global Service Centre? What could be improved i:The main benefit is having the structure and impetus to organize as a multi-sector network. It helps to have the accountability of making commitments to the UNU and reporting in our accomplishments. We also have enjoyed learning about other RCEs' best practices and projects, with inspiration for how to design our own RCE.

Region: Americas

RCE Greater Portland 2014-2015 Projects

Native American Talking Circle

This event, on February 5, 2015, created a talking circle model to ask the following questions: How can we create new ways of being to help build sustainable communities? Perceiving Earth and all her inhabitants as living systems helps us explore this core question. With the support of Charles Hopkins and other community leaders, we explored how ethics and principles can be embodied in our lives and work to create a sustainable future.

This modified fishbowl model had concentric circles, with the audience in the Outer Circle invited to listen and ask questions of the Talking Circle.

GPSEN’s Earth Week Presentation

On Earth Day, April 22, 2015, Dr. Kim Smith, PCC Sociology Instructor and GPSEN Coordinator, introduced the UN’s new Global Action Program and helped participants explore how they can engage in the GAP's five priority action areas to help create a more sustainable future in our organizations, region and beyond. Co-sponsored by GPSEN and Portland Community College, this event built on efforts to create college and community networks that support E4 solutions, focused on the environment, education, economy, and equity.

E4 Sustainability TeamWorks Team

This Hands On Greater Portland Teamworks experience unites educational seminars, guided discussions, and planned service projects as it explores the foundations and actions of the four “E”s that underlie sustainability efforts across our region: environment, equity, economy, and education. In partnership with Portland Community College and the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN), our goal was to help create a healthy, just, and thriving region where everyone has opportunities to shape a more sustainable future!

GOALS • Explore local E4 sustainability challenges • Identify existing sustainability education initiatives • Empower participants to recognize the contributions they can make in their communities • Engage participants in meaningful service projects • Foster citizenship and social sustainability through community-based learning • Facilitate reflection on the quality and impact of their service.

The TeamWorks model was developed by Hands On Greater Portland in order to deepen the engagement of community member in service projects, so that participants could learn the structural and cultural foundations of why they should address social, economic, and environmental issues and how they can make a difference. RCE Greater Portland Coordinator and Sociology Professor, Kim Smith, served as the Team Leader and organized the TeamWorks’ learning objectives. Hands On Greater Portland’s TeamWorks Coordinator, Melia Tichenor, scheduled all of the service projects with established partners, based on the E4 themes. Reflection exercises, evaluation forms, and reflection papers were embedded into the service projects, following each session, in order to help participants recognize the benefits of their actions, as well as ways that the projects could be improved.

As a team, we began with an exploration of the foundations of social problems and thought traps and developed cycles of hope and "E4" solutions that focused on all four pillars of sustainability. To consider the pillars of economic health and social equity, we served a meal at Potluck in the Park and learned about Indigenous Rights and Wisdom during Earth Week with guest speaker Ilarion Merculieff. We supported access to education through a beautification project at Glenfair Elementary School and explored environmental responsibility as we assisted with reuse efforts at the ReBuilding Center. We learned about food insecurity issues in our region by helping build a Community Garden for a low-income community, through Growing Gardens. All of these efforts helped participants become familiar with the sustainable development initiatives spearheaded by the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network.

More details are available here: http://www.handsonportland.org/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?id=a0C1200000jEcKm

It was a great success!

Six students from Portland Community College (PCC) and six community members joined our Hands On Greater Portland TeamWorks team, this year, with projects spanning across April and May, 2015.

The team filled up quickly and received positive feedback, with the following results: 9 participants completed the TeamWorks team • Over 125 total hours of volunteer time were contributed by TeamWorks participants • 5 local sustainability organizations benefitted from service projects • Over 500 meals were served to those in need in Portland, at Potluck in the Park • 65 students and community members attended Ilarion Merculieff’s presentation and participated in group discussions about Native cultures and climate change • 9 TeamWorks participants and over 400 Comcast employees engaged in the Glenfair Elementary School Beautification Project. Over 100 trees were planted, 2 tons of mulch was spread, and at least 20 school rooms and hallways were scrubbed and painted at a local elementary school • Over 60 pieces of recycled lumber were de-nailed and made ready for resale at the Rebuilding Center

Program Review

A Portland Community College Project Management class chose to review RCE Greater Portland (aka GPSEN)'s governance structure and partner model and made recommendations for best practices, as we transitioned to become an independent non-profit. They were helping us overcome challenges in building an effective multi-sector network, which allowed us to have the needed capacity to run our organization beyond volunteer support, with the end of course release from PCC for our current Coordinator, Kim Smith. We are currently using their recommendations to help us move into the next iteration of our network, to more effectively achieve our short-term and long-term objectives.

Creation of a Think Tank

Our GPSEN Think Tank supports our research and advocacy efforts, in addition to providing a forum for innovative discussions.

Objectives:• Develop as a program within GPSEN and offer as a collaborative opportunity for other RCEs. It will be a core project within the GPSEN Research & Development committee.• Create a central organizing tool to allow researchers, visionaries, and all who are interested in asking deeper cultural and policy questions about how to use social science concepts and theories to help create a more sustainable future.• Offer an asset map of existing sustainability research and researchers in the greater Portland region and beyond.• Serve as a central hub to connect researchers and students with research questions and funders, allowing opportunities for engagement.• Address core priority action areas in UNESCO’s Global Action Programme on ESD.• Internship opportunities will be available.

“Planetary” Movie Release

Portland Hawthorne Hostel and Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network (GPSEN) teamed up for an evening of free BBQ, beer tasting provided by Ecliptic Brewing, and an outdoor film screening on July 24, 2015. A post-film discussion was co-led by GPSEN Coordinator and PCC Sociology Professor, Kim Smith, and local Sustainability Advocate and Hostel Manager, Michele Machado. 

Hostelling International (HI) USA and hundreds of local teams around the world partnered with World Merit, a UK-based NGO with a mission to inspire a world-wide community of millennial global leaders and activists, to host a simultaneous viewing of the new film, "Planetary." A film about interdependence, "Planetary" weaves imagery from NASA Apollo missions with footage from Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayas, along with interviews with astronauts, environmentalists, anthropologists and National Geographic explorers. "Planetary" is a poetic and humbling reminder that it's time to shift our perspective, asking us to rethink who we really are, to reconsider our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the world around us - to remember that: we are PLANETARY. Original Soundtrack by Human Suits.

Heroic Imagination Project

RCE Greater Portland (aka Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network) serves as a connector and collaborator in bringing core partners together to develop education for sustainable development (ESD) curriculum and projects. The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP) trainings reflect these networking efforts well. We have worked with GPSEN partners: Portland State University, Portland Community College, and Trash for Peace, as well as with Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair with York University, to develop a sustainability train-the-trainer model with global leaders in social psychology through The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP). We will be working with our Social Science Think Tank for curriculum development and our College Student Network to do outreach for participation in the trainings, in addition to supporting Trash for Peace in their efforts to serve at-risk youth and underserved communities and in their translation of training materials into Spanish.

The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP) provides the knowledge, tools, strategies, and exercises to help individuals challenge powerful negative social situational forces as well as political system forces and engage more proactively, empathetically, and heroically with the world around them. Implementation steps include:1. Work with groups to identify needs and outcome goals2. Help groups choose from their current set of modules or identify the need for new curricula3. Develop customized modules 4. Teach the intervention programs to group members who will, in turn, become trainers for their community5. Be available as a consultant to deliver programs6. Work with partners to assess program outcomes and impact

GoGreen Conference

The GoGreen Conference, on October 6, 2015, created and organized by B Corporation Social Enterprises, is a sustainability learning experience for business and government decision-makers. Featuring regionally targeted content and recognized leaders from the community, GoGreen works across industry silos to foster peer-to-peer learning and collaborative solutions. We believe sustainability in the business setting is a powerful and indispensable tool for navigating the tumultuous waters of today's global economy and solving our climate woes. Our mission is to empower attendees with the strategies, tools and connections to green their organizations with profitability in mind.

As one of their sponsors, we help advertise the event, offer discount tickets to our members, present, when possible, and do tabling and networking. It was hosted on the downtown campus of founding RCE member University of Oregon.

This event advances economic, social, and environmental sustainability, with an emphasis on corporate social responsibility. You can find out more about the conference on their website: http://portland.gogreenconference.net/

GPSEN College Network

Professors and staff at different colleges across the greater Portland region have collected names of interested college students who would like to work together to have shared trainings, networking opportunities, and events. The Student Sustainability Center at Portland State University has offered to serve as the hub and will be helping move efforts forward.

Lewis & Clark College hosted the first networking event during an Earth Week Festival, with 20 students participating. We hope to build on this success and the goals established by the students.

UN Day Presentation

We celebrated United Nations Day 2015: "UN 70: Strong UN, Better World", with UNA, the World Affairs Council, the World Forestry Center, and ONE, on October 22, 2015. With the adoption of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO's Global Action Program, the World Forestry Congress, plus the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Paris, 2015 is a watershed year, so we wanted to make sure that the community knew about these.

Charles Hopkins, the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development, Eric Vines, the Executive Director of the

World Forestry Center, Kim Smith, the Coordinator of the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network, and Kyoko Shiota, Program Associate with United Nations University, explored how to truly "think global, act local." We invited attendees to be part of the vanguard, to find out how Oregon and Washington are helping lead the way in regional, national, and international programs and discover how they could engage in their communities.

GPSEN Youth Network

The growing youth network of RCE Greater Portland has identified several core goals.1) To create a network of high school students to empower and mobilize youth to help create a sustainable future in the greater Portland region and beyond.2) To create meaningful projects and programs founded by high school students that address real needs in their communities.3) To maintain projects and programs founded by high school students that can be maintained after students graduate, so they can be sustainable and leave an ongoing imprint on Portland 4) To mentor incoming cohorts of youth to carry on projects and participate in the Youth Network

NWEI EcoChallenge 2015

This annual community event, sponsored by RCE Greater Portland partner, the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI), creates teams of participants from neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and beyond, who take on a challenge to change a behavior for two weeks. The EcoChallenge is open to anyone who would like to make a commitment to living a little lighter on Earth. Whether at work or on campus, with friends or family, NWEI encourages developing camaraderie and friendly peer pressure to make change a little easier, and a lot more fun. A great team-building and personal experience, the EcoChallenge makes a real difference in our own lives and the community. 

The teams are on-line, so people can join from across the region and around the world. This fun and meaningful opportunity helps people learn something new. Plus, teams and individuals can compete with each other and win prizes!

The regional challenges that this project addresses focuses on environmental issues and actions that we can take in our homes, workplaces and communities. NWEI allows us to choose an EcoChallenge category that appeals to us: Water Conservation; Energy Efficiency; Sustainable Food Options; Alternative Transportation; Trash Reduction; Civic Engagement; Connect with Earth; or Choose Your Own. They ask participants to be realistic about what challenges people take on and then to let our family and friends know about our challenges. Using social psychological theories, they have found that sharing our EcoChallenges is a great way to inspire others and hold ourselves accountable. 

Once the EcoChallenge starts, participants are able to check in each day and identify whether they achieved their goal or not and then blog about their efforts. Some participants post pictures and share suggestions with each other. Checking in and blogging earns the individual and team points and adds to the fun of the experience.

Because the EcoChallenge is on-line, people participate from all over the greater Portland region, the United States, and internationally. Many of our RCE partners create teams and use this as an annual event to build relationships and make a difference. 

This year was extra special, as UNU-IAS program associate Kyoko Shiota was interning with RCE Greater Portland and she chose to work with our partner, NWEI, to learn about their discussion courses, curriculum, and the EcoChallenge. She created an international RCE team, which introduced the UNU-IAS and other RCEs around the world to one of RCE Greater Portland's favorite projects. We hope that other RCEs will participate in the future as well.

More details are available at www.nwei.org.

The 2015 EcoChallenge took place this year, from October 15-29, 2015, with over 4,300 participants.

We have had an RCE Greater Portland team for three years, even before we were officially recognized as an RCE. This year, our official RCE Greater Portland team had only 10 members, but we invited partners to create teams across our region. We had teams participate from many of our partners, with a range of team members:

AASHE (7)Center for Diversity and the Environment (12)City of Lake Oswego (7)City of Portland (8)Create Plenty (7)Marylhurst University (26)Metro (32)Multnomah County (48)Oregon Zoo (6)Portland Community College (9 teams- 150 participants)Portland Public Schools (21)Portland State University (2)University of Portland (32)University of Portland's MBA class (22)Washington County (49)Waste Management (9) 

The international RCE teams had 36 participants, from Japan, India, Colombia, Zambia, and Kenya. Kyoko Shiota served as the team captain.

It was a great success and we look forward to doing the EcoChallenge again next year.

Self Evaluation

a) Criteria/indicators used to assess aspects of RCE work/project: (Character count 300 words each):Criteria vary depending on the event. We do not have a formal self-evaluation process, but we do debrief what has worked and not worked well with each event and program. We have met after each event to discuss core indicators of went well and what we could do better next time, based on attendance, participant feedback, and whether our goals were achieved based on the outcomes.

b) Successes of RCE and lessons learned: (Character count 300 words each):We have hosted a variety of different events, which have strived to reach the broadest audiences possible, across sectors, integrating the skills and resources of a variety of partners. Different working groups have planned and executed the events. We have identified needs within our community, such as the desire for a Think Tank, and we are glad that we can contribute to innovative conversations. We learned at our retreat that it is very important to "let the network do the work," with partners engaging in different parts of efforts. We also recognize that we have to build staff capacity, and, therefore, will begin charging partner fees, in order to fund paid staff.

c) Challenges experiences: (Character count 300 words each):We have grown quickly and the enthusiasm for the network is not matched by the capacity. The course release time for our Coordinator, Kim Smith, is coming to an end, so it will be necessary to hire someone full-time to manage the coordination of the network.

Award Submission: NWEI EcoChallengeNWEI EcoChallenge 2015

Duration of project: October 15-29, 2015

Project Description:

This annual community event, sponsored by RCE Greater Portland partner, the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI), creates teams of participants from neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and beyond, who take on a challenge to change a behavior for two weeks. The EcoChallenge is open to anyone who would like to make a commitment to living a little lighter on Earth. Whether at work or on campus, with friends or family, NWEI encourages developing camaraderie and friendly peer pressure to make change a little easier, and a lot more fun. A great team-building and personal experience, the EcoChallenge makes a real difference in our own lives and the community. 

The teams are on-line, so people can join from across the region and around the world. This fun and meaningful opportunity helps people learn something new. Plus, teams and individuals can compete with each other and win prizes!

The regional challenges that this project addresses focuses on environmental issues and actions that we can take in our homes, workplaces and communities. NWEI allows us to choose an EcoChallenge category that appeals to us: Water Conservation; Energy Efficiency; Sustainable Food Options; Alternative Transportation; Trash Reduction; Civic Engagement; Connect with Earth; or Choose Your Own. They ask participants to be realistic about what challenges people take on and then to let our family and friends know about our challenges. Using social psychological theories, they have found that sharing our EcoChallenges is a great way to inspire others and hold ourselves accountable. 

Once the EcoChallenge starts, participants are able to check in each day and identify whether they achieved their goal or not and then blog about their efforts. Some participants post pictures and share suggestions with each other. Checking in and blogging earns the individual and team points and adds to the fun of the experience.

Because the EcoChallenge is on-line, people participate from all over the greater Portland region, the United States, and internationally. Many of our RCE partners create teams and use this as an annual event to build relationships and make a difference. 

This year was extra special, as UNU-IAS program associate Kyoko Shiota was interning with RCE Greater Portland and she chose to work with our partner, NWEI, to learn about their discussion courses, curriculum, and the EcoChallenge. She created an international RCE team, which introduced the UNU-IAS and other RCEs around the world to one of RCE Greater Portland's favorite projects. We hope that other RCEs will participate in the future as well.

More details are available at www.nwei.org.

Outcomes:

The 2015 EcoChallenge took place this year, from October 15-29, 2015, with over 4,300 participants.

We have had an RCE Greater Portland team for three years, even before we were officially recognized as an RCE. This year, our official RCE Greater Portland team had only 10 members, but we invited partners to create teams across our region. We had teams participate from many of our partners, with a range of team members:AASHE (7)Center for Diversity and the Environment (12)City of Lake Oswego (7)City of Portland (8)Create Plenty (7)Marylhurst University (26)Metro (32)Multnomah County (48)Oregon Zoo (6)Portland Community College (9 teams- 150 participants)Portland Public Schools (21)Portland State University (2)University of Portland (32)University of Portland's MBA class (22)

Washington County (49)Waste Management (9) 

The international RCE teams had 36 participants, from Japan, India, Colombia, Zambia, and Kenya. Kyoko Shiota served as the team captain.

It was a great success and we look forward to doing the EcoChallenge again next year.

Describe coordination and management of the project. Please also reflect how the RCE as a network organization has contributed to the project and the challenges involved, if any. Character count 400 word

The EcoChallenge is sponsored and managed by RCE Greater Portland’s partner, the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI). Founded in 1993, the NWEI is a non-profit organization that inspires people to take responsibility for Earth. Their efforts are based on a simple objective: to give people a framework to talk about our relationship with the planet and to share in discovering new ways to live, work, create and consume. As more than 160,000 people have discovered since then, this simple objective is a recipe for powerful change. They also believe that change should be fun. There’s no shortage of information about the serious challenges facing our planet – and although most people say they would like to do more, they don’t know where to start. NWEI helps by offering educational and community engagement opportunities. More information on NWEI is available on their website at www.nwei.org.

Over the seven years that NWEI has been organizing the EcoChallenge, institutions and community organizations who would form the core network of RCE Greater Portland, have engaged in NWEI discussion groups and created EcoChallenge teams. We knew that when we wanted to become an RCE, that we wanted NWEI to be a founding member. They have been at the table ever since.

This year's EcoChallenge saw participants from across the Greater Portland region and beyond challenging themselves to choose one action to reduce their environmental impact and stick with it for two weeks. Individuals and teams pick a category- water, trash, energy, food, transportation or civic engagement— and set a goal that stretches their comfort zone and makes a difference for themselves and the planet. EcoChallengers accrue points for engagement (everything from succeeding at daily EcoChallenges and blogging about results to engaging friends and family in the event and fundraising earns points). At the end of the EcoChallenge, the points show which teams win the challenge and increase individual odds of winning fun raffle prizes!

RCE Greater Portland organized their own team, challenged partners to create teams, and facilitated outreach for the EcoChallenge. We also had the pleasure of competing with an international RCE team, led by team captain Kyoko Shiota. It added a very inspiring, multicultural dynamic that helped NWEI reframe their vision for the broader program. They are now excited to offer this as an international challenge in the coming years.

What are the current results of the project in terms of output (e.g. publications, developed practices, course materials)? Character count 300 words

The 2015 EcoChallenge took place this year, from October 15-29, 2015, with 4,333 participants.

We have had an RCE Greater Portland team for three years, even before we were officially recognized as an RCE. This year, our official RCE Greater Portland team had only 10 members, but we invited partners to create teams across our region. We had 438 individuals participate from 16 of our partners, with a range of team members:

AASHE (7)

Center for Diversity and the Environment (12)

City of Lake Oswego (7)

City of Portland (8)

Create Plenty (7)

Marylhurst University (26)

Metro (32)

Multnomah County (48)

Oregon Zoo (6)

Portland Community College (9 teams- 150 participants)

Portland Public Schools (21)

Portland State University (2)

University of Portland (32)

University of Portland's MBA class (22)

Washington County (49)

Waste Management (9)

The international RCE teams had 36 participants, from Japan, India, Colombia, Zambia, and Kenya. Kyoko Shiota served as the team captain.

Summaries of the results are being coordinated by NWEI and preliminary data and stories have already been shared by RCE Greater Portland, in our monthly newsletter, and by UNU-IAS, in their eBulletin, thanks to Hanna Staahlberg.

What are the expected/confirmed outcomes (e.g. impact of the project)? Character count 400 words

The stories are still being collected and numbers are still being counted for 2015, but the current statistics show:

4,333 people participated this year, reflecting a 59% increase in participation from last year! With 448 participants on teams from RCE Greater Portland’s partners, we made up over 10% of the participants.

EcoChallengers saved 28,925 pounds of CO2 and 106,492 gallons of water; enjoyed 4,731 meatless meals; 1,195 hours were converted from indoor time to outdoor time; 4,027 disposable cups were saved from the landfill; 1,423 zero-waste meals were prepared; 894 phonecalls and letters advocating for environmental issues; 158 pounds of paper saved; 601 lightbulbs converted to energy-efficient bulbs, equaling $8,407 saved on electricity annually.

Compare these to the statistics for 2014:

2548 participants conserved 58,004 gallons of water, enjoyed 3,162 meatless meals, diverted 2,127 disposable cups from the landfill, diverted 642 pounds from the landfill, replaced 167 lightbulbs, and initiated 414 conversations about environmental issues (http://www.ecochallenge.org/about_the_challenge/ecochallenge_stories_to_inspire_you).

The NWEI has committed to supporting the engagement of RCEs around the world, with outreach from RCE Greater Portland. We are proud of Kyoko Shiota's engagement and development of this international opportunity and we look forward to having other RCEs participate in the future.

It was a great success and we look forward to doing the EcoChallenge again next year.

Are there any unexpected/ unplanned results achieved by your project? If yes, briefly describe or list them. Character count 200 words.

By this point, the EcoChallenge is well organized and works quite smoothly; however, having the international RCEs participate this year added in a new need and commitment. NWEI discovered the limitations in the demographics that they were using, so they revised their forms to support our international RCE colleagues and have committed to offering further facilitation in the future.

What are the remaining challenges and/ or limitations for further development? Character count 300 words.

NWEI also discovered that there is a limitation in the fact that all of the materials are in English. It they want to make the project more inclusive, they need to offer translation services in the future. We appreciate their commitment to supporting RCEs around the world, especially the Spanish-speaking RCEs in the RCEs of the Americas.

 What is the project’s contribution to innovative and transformative educational processes for sustainable development (especially regarding formal/ non-formal learning/ research)? Character count 500 words.

Based on reflections from EcoChallengers, the EcoChallenge has significant outcomes that support innovative and transformative educational processes:

“The EcoChallenge for me started out as a small reduce, reuse, and recycle philosophy but then became much bigger because I was more conscience of all the things I was doing on a day-to-day basis that impacted the environment.”

“So many of the possible Challenges seem so minor — taking shorter showers or flushing the toilet less? What’s that really going to do? But for me, the biggest impact comes when I start to talk with others about what we’re all doing. Then I feel a spark of excitement, a spark of connection. I start to see the possibility of banding together in this mess, start to see that beneath the apparent apathy or ignorance, others around me really DO care. With that recognition of connection, of the goodness within myself and others, things don’t seem quite so impossible anymore.”

“The point of my Challenge is to bring an awareness of what I consume and waste into every decision I make throughout the day. I feel like to that end, this Challenge has been wildly successful. Even though I may not be able to live a zero-waste lifestyle, I am confident I am able to make daily changes that will significantly reduce my waste.”

“We permanently changed our behavior for the better. Our kids are now aware of those purchasing decisions, of where all stuff comes from and goes to and that we’re in control of it. We spent weekend hours together turning compost and sorting recycling into bins. That’s the stuff that makes them true stewards of the Earth. Seeing their friends’ families take on some of our changes taught them the value of leadership through example. Those are also hours I will cherish as a parent. In all, it was a minor investment with big returns.”

And, this is just a small part of what NWEI does. Their curriculum and discussion courses are amazing and transform minds, workplaces, classrooms, and neighborhoods. NWEI discussion courses give people a framework to talk about their relationship with the planet and to share in discovering new ways to live, work, create and consume. Our discussion courses have been used in the workplace, on college campuses, in centers of faith, and in the community. They are designed to help break big issues into bite-sized pieces. And they help create a personal network of shared stories and support that makes it easy to take action. From issues related to food, energy, workplaces, and sustainable lifestyles to deep ecology, social justice, and health, NWEI has left an indelible footprint on our community and the world.- See more at: http://www.nwei.org/discussion-course-books/#sthash.aiUnkSJb.dpuf

How can you scale up and mainstream ESD and SD practices of the project and enable it to contribute to the implementation of the Global Action Programme (GAP) as proposed by UNESCO? Character count 300 words.

The EcoChallenge is a perfect fit for meeting the priority action areas of the Global Action Programme. As identified as a core goal of the UNU-IAS, our partnership with NWEI directly addresses priority action area #5: Accelerating sustainable solutions at the local level. The EcoChallenge will be submitted to UNESCO to meet this particular goal, with expanded initiatives to include more partners.

The EcoChallenge also helps partners with PAA 2 - Transforming learning and training environments through whole-institution approaches; PAA 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers; and PAA 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth. The EcoChallenge is a wonderful way to take actions within our workplaces and homes and also add lively activities to educational institutions, across all ages.

We will make concerted efforts in the coming year to expand participation in the EcoChallenge, with the clear intention to meet the GAP’s Priority Action Areas and other Sustainable Development Goals.

How does you project contribute to institutional and policy reforms as part of sustainability change? Character count 500 words

While the EcoChallenge itself does not lead directly to institutional and policy reforms, it does offer an option for participants to choose to engage in political advocacy as their challenge. This year, 894 phonecalls were made and letters were sent advocating for environmental issues. It is hard to estimate if the other conservation efforts contribute to institutional and policy reform, but it is likely to shift awareness, which facilitates and inspires intentional focus on sustainability change through direct action. How one measures the true ripple effects of the impact we were able to make is its own challenge, but we have faith that the actions taken by the 4,333 participants to change lifestyles through water, energy, food, transportation, and trash energy reduction, in addition to options for civic engagement and connecting with Earth, do make a transformative difference.

How does your project further improve capacities of various partners and stakeholders on the theme? Character count 500 word

Improving capacities and taking actions are core aspects to the EcoChallenge model. Beyond the educational lessons gained through learning about issues, committing to change and taking actions, the relationships developed are very significant to behavior and lifestyle change. Partners are able to participate in activities as individuals or as groups, which offer worthwhile team-building opportunities.

We were very happy to see that 448 participants from 16 different RCE Greater Portland partners had teams. In fact, of the 4,333 participants around the world, RCE Greater Portland had 10% of all of the participants. That seems like a very successful example of capacity-building.

We will be able to develop these ideas further and nurture relationships with different partners and stakeholders who would like to be involved in this powerful applied community-based learning and engagement model. We are thrilled to see high numbers of partners participate in the EcoChallenge and we look forward to increasing engagement next year. Our outreach campaigns to increase public awareness and shift behaviors highlights the power of RCEs to help serve as a connector within and beyond our networks.

What is the significance of this project for developing global linkages in order to strengthen activities in this area? Character count 250 words.

One of the beauties of this year’s EcoChallenge was the development of an international RCE team. The NWEI was so happy to have Kyoko Shiota’s support as a team captain, while she was in Portland, working with RCE Greater Portland. The international RCE teams had 36 participants, from Japan, India, Colombia, Zambia, and Kenya, and we expect more to join next year. NWEI has committed to facilitating international participation and RCE Greater Portland will help support with outreach to our RCE colleagues around the world, with the help of the UNU-IAS eBulletin and social media outlets, like Facebook, where many RCEs are linked up.

A very promising opportunity for next year is to intentionally align efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals. It would be a clear and easy way to design initiatives and report actions that support the implementation of the SDGs. RCE Greater Portland will commit to working with NWEI on these efforts, including having resources and a webinar which clarifies the relationship between individual efforts and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

What is novel about the project within the RCE network and what could other RCEs learn from this experience? (Answer only if relevant) Character count 250 words

The EcoChallenge is a model that works to inspire and reward environmental behavior change. Using social psychological theories, they have discovered that people can change a habit in two weeks. In addition, they employ intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to motivate people to participate, including easy engagement, accountability, peer pressure, and competitions, with prizes.

We have not heard of a similar project in the RCE network, so NWEI’s program appears to be unique and novel. As described in other answers, we are also happy and proud that this program is now available to other RCEs to try. It can offer a replicable model, if others wish to design their own on-line mechanisms to facilitate engagement as well, but it also is a fun way for RCEs around the world to engage on-line together.

What is the significance of this project for the region? How important are its results for its particular project category? Character count 250 words.

As described throughout our report and award application, the EcoChallenge offers an easily accessible and well-organized program that allows partners and stakeholders through the region to meet specific environmental needs in their own lives and in their communities. People can choose specific challenges that are embedded in activities that support actions and relationships in our region that address key needs of sustainable consumption and production. NWEI and RCE Greater Portland emphasize both why and how to engage. We identify projects and activities in our community that connect with sustainable development efforts and the testimonials that people post really identify how their actions make a difference in their lives (https://www.ecochallenge.org/about_the_challenge/ecochallenge_stories_to_inspire_you).

Via RCE Greater Portland and NWEI’s newsletters and social media, we will continue to share the significant outcomes of this year’s EcoChallenge. The fact alone that the number of participants rose from 2,548 in 2014 to 4,300 in 2015 is very impressive!

RCE Greater Portland would love to be able to facilitate opportunities like this again in the future as the scale of learning and engagement are significant and important not only for those who participate but also all of the ripple effects of their actions during the two-week EcoChallenge and the changed habits going forward. There is no doubt that we will continue to have teams and expand efforts for as long as both our RCE and the EcoChallenge exist.