shape tomorrow

7/29/2019 Shape Tomorrow

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Introduction 3

Visi on 6

The Framework 8

Goals, Strategies, and Actions 11

eaching and Learning 11

Suden Engagemen and Communiy Connecions 14

Environmenal Leadership 18

Me asu ring Progress 22

Conclusion 25

Appe ndix:Knowledge, Skills, and Atiudes 26

Developed Trough Environmenal Educaion

Contents

Une publicaion quivalene es disponible en ranais sousle ire suivan :Prparons lavenir ds aujourdhui :

La Poliique dducaion environnemenale pour les coles de lOnario.

Tis publicaion is available on he Minisry o Educaionswebsie, a www.edu.gov.on.ca.


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Schools have a vial role o play in preparing our

young people o ake heir place as inormed, engaged,and empowered ciizens who will be pivoal in shaping

he uure o our communiies, our province, our counry,

and our global environmen.

Ontario Ministry of Education, Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future (2007), p. 1


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A

s counries around he world ace complex environmenal and social issues,

here is a growing recogniion ha educaion has a key role o play. I is criical

ha we help sudens undersand how our individual and collecive behaviour

aecs he environmen, and how environmenally responsible liesyles can con-

ribue o healhy, susainable ecosysems. Environmenal educaion is a vial ool

ha helps young people undersand he naure and complexiy o environmenal

challenges and builds heir capaciy o ake appropriae acion.

As we approach he midpoin o he Unied Naions Decade o Educaion or

Susainable Developmen (20052014), governmens across Canada and around

he world have inroduced a wide variey o environmenal educaion and susain-

abiliy iniiaives. In Onario, he governmen underook o examine environmenaleducaion in he curriculum hrough he Minisry o Educaions Curriculum

Council. An exper panel, convened by he council and chaired by Dr. Robera

Bondar, was given he mandae o analyse needs and research successul approaches

o eaching and learning abou he environmen in elemenary and secondary

schools (p. 3). Te panels repor, Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Fuure,

was published in June 2007, and he governmen is now moving orward on he

repors hiry-wo recommendaions.

Te governmen has made a commimen ha environmenal educaion, as denedin Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Fuure, will be par o every childs learning

and ha responsible environmenal pracices will be osered across he educaion

sysem. Te governmen and is minisries have also coninued o move orward on

he environmen and climae change agendas.

Introduction


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Te environmenal educaion policy rame-

work oulined in his documen is based on

he undersanding ha here is no universal

model or he implemenaion o environ-

menal educaion. Alhough here is overallagreemen on principles and supporing

conceps, specic goals and processes mus

be dened locally o mee he diering

environmenal, social, and economic

condiions ha exis in Onario communi-

ies. Accordingly, he ramework will guide

school boards and schools owards he

developmen o he skills and knowledge

needed o implemen environmenal

educaion in a communiy-cenred conex.

Te policy ramework seeks o move

beyond a ocus on sympoms air and

waer polluion, or example o encompass

he underlying causes o environmenal sresses, which are rooed in personal and

social values and in organizaional srucures. I seeks o promoe changes in

personal behaviour and organizaional pracices ha will allow us o minimize

our ecological ooprin, while also osering greaer communiy engagemen in

meeing ha goal.

Te ramework reecs, promoes, and guides he implemenaion o

environmenal educaion ha

is locally relevan;

is culurally appropriae;

enhances undersanding ha local issues ofen have provincial, naional,

and global consequences;

builds capaciy or communiy-based decision making and environmenal

sewardship; suppors lielong learning;

suppors he deniion o environmenal educaion provided in Shaping

Our Schools, Shaping Our Fuure.

Environmental education is education

about the environment, or the envi-

ronment, and in the environment that

promotes an understanding o, rich

and active experience in, and an appre-

ciation or the dynamic interactions o:

the Earths physical and biological

systems;

the dependency of our social and

economic systems on these natural

systems;

the scientic and human dimensions

o environmental issues;

the positive and negative consequen-

ces, both intended and unintended,

o the interactions between human-

created and natural systems.

Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future, p. 6


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In Reach Every Suden: Energizing Onario Educaion (2008), he minisry has

idenied hree core prioriies ha guide all o is eors in suppor o public educa-

ion in Onario:

High levels o suden achievemen

Reduced gaps in suden achievemen Increased public condence in publicly unded educaion

Research has shown ha environmenal educaion no only increases sudens

environmenal lieracy bu also conribues o higher academic achievemen or

all sudens. One o he keys o he eeciveness o environmenal educaion

in supporing he minisrys hree core prioriies is is power o oser

suden engagemen:

When sudens are engaged in heir learning and social environmen,hey are beter able o develop he skills and knowledge and grasp heopporuniies ha can help hem reach heir ull poenial, pursue lielong

learning, and conribue o a prosperous, cohesive sociey. As we move

orward wih our educaion agenda, we will bring new energy o our

eors o oser suden engagemen, boh academic and social.

Ontario Ministry of Education,

Reach Every Student: Energizing Ontario Education (2008), p. 12


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he vision or environmenal educaion in Onario is enunciaed in Shaping

Our Schools, Shaping Our Fuure:

Onarios educaion sysem will prepare sudens wih he knowledge,

skills, perspecives, and pracices hey need o be environmenally

responsible ciizens. Sudens will undersand our undamenal

connecions o each oher and o he world around us hrough our

relaionship o ood, waer, energy, air, and land, and our ineracion

wih all living hings. Te educaion sysem will provide opporuniies

wihin he classroom and he communiy or sudens o engage inacions ha deepen his undersanding.

Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future,p. 4

Te policy ramework or environmenal educaion in Onario oers school boards

and schools an approach o environmenal educaion ha recognizes he needs o

all Onario sudens and promoes environmenal responsibiliy in he operaions

o all levels o he educaion sysem.

Te ramework is inended o ensure ha all sudens will have opporuniies o

learn and o engage in paricipaive leadership. Environmenal educaion mus

address he paricular needs o sudens as hey relae o culural background,

language, gender, abiliy, and oher aspecs o diversiy.

Vision


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Te uure o environmenal soluions ulimaely ress wih sudens. odays

sudens will shape he world o omorrow. More hen ever, i is vially imporan

ha our educaion sysem no only prepare sudens academically bu also provide

hem wih he skills, perspecives, and pracices hey will need o mee he social

and environmenal challenges o he uure.

Developed hrough exensive research and consulaion wih educaion sakeholders,

his ramework promoes an inegraed approach o environmenal educaion,

encourages argeed approaches o proessional developmen, emphasizes

communiy involvemen, and provides models or guiding implemenaion

and reviewing progress.


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he ramework provided in his documen maps ou he minisrys policy or

environmenal educaion, ocusing on a shared vision, a common vocabulary,

a commimen o suden leadership, and a reliance on he sharing o pracices

and resources.

I ses hree goals, which are described in deail in he nex secion. Tese goals

are organized around he hemes oeaching and learning , suden engagemen

and communiy connecions, and environmenal leadership. Te rs goal promoes

learning abou environmenal issues and soluions. Te second engages sudens

o paricipae acively in pracising and promoing environmenal sewardship, boh

in he school and in he communiy. Te hird sresses he imporance o providing

leadership by implemening and promoing responsible environmenal praciceshroughou he educaion sysem so ha sa, parens, communiy members, and

sudens become dedicaed o living more susainably.

I is recognized ha he implemenaion o he policy ramework or environmenal

educaion will occur over ime and ha i will be guided by local needs and condi-

ions. School boards will be expeced o revise or develop an environmenal educa-

ion policy, in collaboraion wih heir communiy parners, ha reecs heir local

circumsances. Tis policy will aciliae he implemenaion o programs and cur-

riculum iniiaives o deepen and broaden suden learning abou he environmenand will help guide school boards eors in puting environmenally responsible

pracices in place.

The Frame wo rk


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In developing heir policies, school boards may nd a helpul model in he hree-

goal srucure o his policy ramework. As boards across he province develop

policies on his model, he hree goals oulined in he ramework will come o

represen a province-wide oundaion or environmenal educaion in elemenary

and secondary schools.

o help schools mee he hree goals o he ramework, his documen oulines a

se o implemenaion sraegies and provides examples o indicaors ha will allow

hem o map he developmen and measure he progress o heir implemenaion

o environmenal educaion. Using hese ools, schools will be able o see heir

work in environmenal educaion reeced in boh heir day-o-day aciviies and

heir long-erm programming.

Evirmetal Edcati A Shared Respsibility

Te environmenal educaion policy ramework recognizes ha environmenal

educaion is a shared responsibiliy and ha all o us have roles o play as

learners, eachers, leaders, and communiy members. For example:

A Grade 1 student can take a message home and teach his or her family

abou recycling.

Students can get involved in water conservation in the community and then

provide leadership a he school.

As part of their eort to integrate environmental education across the

curriculum, educaors can promoe a variey o environmenally relevan

aciviies and evens, such as recycled-ar shows.

System leaders, school sta, parents, and communities can all try to learn

abou environmenal issues, build awareness, each new pracices, and apply

soluions hrough school-based projecs.


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Environmenal educaion requires sudens and ohers in he educaion communiy

o examine issues wihin he conex o boh he local and he global environmenal

siuaion. I also challenges hem o develop he knowledge, skills, and atiudes

hey will need o cope wih an increasingly complex world and [will] enable hemo nd new soluions in building a healhy sociey (Shaping Our Schools, Shaping

Our Fuure, p. 17).

Environmenal educaion no only expands sudens knowledge o he environ-

men, i also enhances heir criical hinking and problem-solving skills and in-

creases heir communiy awareness. In hese ways, i helps o suppor he goals o

he minisrys characer developmen iniiaive. As sudens knowledge and skills

develop, so does heir abiliy o move rom awareness o acion and o hink

criically, eel deeply, and ac wisely wih respec o he environmen (Onario

Minisry o Educaion, Finding Common Ground: Characer Developmen in

Onario Schools, 2008, p. 17).

Environmenal educaion also has signican linkages and commonaliies wih

oher minisry iniiaives. For example, he goals o he environmenal educaion

policy ramework suppor he vision o he Onario Firs Naion, Mis, and Inui

educaion policy ramework, which saes ha all sudens will have knowledge

and appreciaion o conemporary and radiional Firs Naion, Mis, and Inui

radiions, culures, and perspecives (Onario Minisry o Educaion, Onario

Firs Naion, Mis, and Inui Educaion Policy Framework, 2007, p. 7).

Similarly, he recogniion ha environmenal educaion mus be communiy-

cenred is consisen wih he Amnagemen linguisique policy or French-

language educaion. Te environmenal educaion policy ramework recognizes

he need or French-language communiies o ake accoun o heir unique

economic, social, and linguisic circumsances in developing heir approaches

o environmenal awareness and susainabiliy (see www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/

amenagemen).

Finally, he principles o environmenal educaion, which recognize he imporance

o environmenal acors o human well-being, are in alignmen wih hose o he

Foundaions or a Healhy School ramework, which highligh he imporance o

a healhy physical environmen and supporive social environmen or successul

learning (see www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/healhyschools/oundaions.hml).


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1. Teaching and Learning

Environmenal educaion enables sudens o develop he knowledge andskills hey need o be environmenally acive and responsible ciizens ando apply heir knowledge and skills cooperaively o eec long-erm change.

o suppor suden learning, eachers are encouraged o develop he knowledge,

skills, and perspecives ha will enable hem o each condenly abou environ-

menal issues and expose sudens o varied poins o view. By applying he

eld-based pedagogical skills ha hey acquire, educaors can provide sudens

wih relevan learning opporuniies. Because environmenal educaion is an

inegraive underaking ha allows or eaching across disciplines, educaors alsoneed he skills o link approaches and conen rom various disciplines o help

sudens undersand complex environmenal issues and guide hem owards

environmenal lieracy.

Goal

By f G 12, q , ,

v f f f

, , v .

Goals, Strate gie s, and Actions


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S T R A T E G Y 1 . 1

Icrease stdet kwlede ad develp skills ad perspectives

that fster evirmetal stewardship

actions

The Ministry of Education will:

embed environmental education expectations and opportunities in all

grades and in all subjecs o he Onario curriculum, as appropriae;

ensure that the standards set forth in Sandards or Environmenal Educaion

in he Curriculum are applied o curricula in all subjecs and disciplines during

he revision and developmen process (see www.edu.gov.on.ca/curriculum

council/sandards.hml);

updateEnvironmenal Educaion: Scope and Sequence o Expecaions,

Grades 18 andEnvironmenal Educaion: Scope and Sequence o Expecaions,

Grades 912 annually on he minisry websie in order o help eachers

plan meaningul programs or classes and schools (see www.edu.gov.on.ca/

curriculumcouncil/publicaions.hml);

foster linkages between the environmental education policy framework and

oher minisry policies, rameworks, and iniiaives, such as he characer

developmen iniiaive and he Onario Firs Naion, Mis, and Inui edu-

caion policy ramework, o help sudens become caring and responsiblemembers o sociey.

School boards will:

use relevant curriculum resource documents to support implementation of

revised curricula, as appropriae;

support sta and students in linking environmental knowledge and related

skills and aciviies o he eachings o diverse communiies, including Firs

Naion, Mis, and Inui peoples, and o principles o responsible ciizenship.

Schools will:

provide opportunities for students to acquire knowledge and skills relatedo environmenal educaion in all subjec areas, and encourage hem o

apply heir knowledge and skills o environmenal issues (e.g., loss o

biodiversiy, climae change, wase reducion, energy conservaion)

hrough acion-based projecs;


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challenge students to develop skills in systems thinking and futures thinking

ha hey will need o become discerning, acive ciizens.

S T R A T E G Y 1 . 2

Mdel ad teach evirmetal edcati thrh a iterated

apprach that prmtes cllabrati i the develpmet f

resrces ad activities.

actions


provide resources for teaching concepts and practices related to

environmenal educaion;

oer professional learning opportunities that develop eld-based

pedagogical skills;

integrate environmental education into subject-specic training activities

relaed o he release o revised curriculum documens, including raining

aimed a new eachers;

liaise with faculties of education about expectations and opportunities

or environmenal educaion as

provided in he Onario curriculum;

encourage faculties of education toaddress environmenal educaion in

heir pre-service curricula;

encourage the sharing of ideas and

resources hrough he Onario

Educaional Resource Bank and

e-Communiy Onario;

share research that identies eective

environmenal educaion pracices;

increase the availability of teacherresources abou green echnologies

and innovaive pracices ha are appli-

cable o environmenal educaion, in

collaboraion wih oher minisries.

Ehaci Evirmetal EdcatiThe Upper Canada District School

Board has established an environ-

mental ocus group to examine

environmental education across the

board and identiy opportunities to

enhance programs, support teachers,

build community partnerships, and

promote co-op placements. The board

has also provided new resources such

as eld study kits for outdoor educa-

tion and has upgraded equipment to

support advanced studies in environ-

mental monitoring.


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School boards will:

foster collaborative opportunities for educators to develop and share

aciviies, inegraed approaches, and acion research projecs relaed

o environmenal educaion;

encourage innovative interdisciplinary programs that focus on theenvironmen and include eld componens.

Schools will:

develop learning opportunities that will help students understand the

underlying causes, he muliple dimensions, and he dynamic naure

o environmenal issues;

develop professional learning communities to share eective practices

abou pedagogical sraegies ha suppor learning and eaching abou

he environmen.

2. Student Engagement and Community Connections

S udens mus be acive paricipans in shaping heir uure. Suden engagemeninvolves he acive paricipaion o all sudens in susainable environmenalpracices, a srong suden voice in decision making, and involvemen in he school

and communiy in meaningul ways. Environmenal educaion simulaes suden

engagemen by ocusing on he imporance o relaionships beween acion and

reecion, local and global issues, and peoples desires and needs.

Suden engagemen has a posiive eec on suden achievemen and moivaion.

Sudens who pracise leadership in heir schools will become eecive ciizens in

heir communiies. Te communiy also has a vial role o play in providing envi-

ronmenal educaion opporuniies and linkages or he school. Communiy groups

can share heir experise and engage sudens in experienial learning and aciviies

relaed o environmenal educaion and careers. Neworking opporuniies and

virual communiies can also be explored.

Goal

I by f v v-

j b b .


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S T R A T E G Y 2 . 1

Bild stdet capacity t take acti evirmetal isses.

actions


integrate opportunities throughout the curriculum for students to take

acions ha oser engaged ciizenship wihin and ouside he classroom;

facilitate the sharing of pedagogical approaches that encourage opportunities

o build suden leadership skills;

align environmental education with other government initiatives that encour-

age sudens o nd conexual soluions hrough principled decision making

and criical hinking;

facilitate the sharing of school board, school, and student projects from across

he province ha demonsrae engagemen in environmenal sewardship;

promote links between formal education systems (e.g., the school system)

and non-ormal educaion sysems (e.g., non-governmenal organizaions).

School boards will:

engage student leaders in the design and delivery of environmental education

projecs a he board level;

share school and student projects across the board that demonstrate engage-

men in environmenal sewardship; encourage environmental learning for all students inside and outside the

classroom;

support students, on a system-wide basis, as they develop skills and act as

decision makers o eec posiive environmenal change.

Schools will:

engage student leaders in the design and delivery of environmental education

a he school level;

encourage students to enrich their learning by using information technology

o access resources, connec wih ohers, and creae e-communiies ha ocuson environmenal issues;

encourage action research that promotes partnerships and the innovative

implemenaion o environmenal educaion conceps and principles;

create opportunities for students to address environmental issues in their

homes, in heir local communiies, or a he global level;


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work with their school councils in promoting environmental education;

encourage students to plan environmental education activities for all

sudens;

encourage all students to participate in environmental education activities

on school grounds.

S T R A T E G Y 2 . 2

Prvide leadership spprt t ehace stdet eaemet

ad cmmity ivlvemet.

actions


develop implementation tools for principals to support a school culture that

encourages suden paricipaion and cooperaion in environmenal aciviies

in he communiy;

collaborate with the Ontario College of Teachers to ensure that appropriate

atenion o environmenal educaion is reeced in he colleges qualicaion

guidelines;

collaborate with the Ontario College of Teachers to ensure that an additional

qualicaion course suppors environmenal educaion;

promote opportunities for educators and students to expand their knowledgeabou careers relaed o he environmen;

facilitate access to environmental education resources developed by school

boards and oher sakeholders;

develop links to other ministries and other agencies in order to share informa-

ion abou environmenal resources or sudens, educaors, and parens;

integrate references to environmental education, as relevant, into the

minisrys paren involvemen commitee guide and school council guide.

School boards will:

oer community-linked experiences and programs, such as a Specialist HighSkills Major ocused on he environmen, or cooperaive educaion and work

experience opporuniies ha are relevan o environmenal educaion;

encourage the parent involvement commiee to provide advice on the

implemenaion o environmenal educaion;


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share information about local resources that support environmental aware-

ness and proecion, energy conservaion, wase managemen, proecion o

he biosphere, and oudoor educaion;

share links and partnerships with community organizations (such as non-

pro organizaions, businesses, arms, and indusries) o help exendengagemen in and responsibiliy or environmenal educaion o

he broader communiy.

Schools will:

work with parents, the school

council, communiy groups,

and oher educaion sakeholders

o promoe environmenal

awareness and oser

appropriae environmenally

responsible pracices;

enrich and complement students

classroom learning by organizing

ou-o-classroom experiences

and aciviies (such as he

nauralizaion o he school yard),

as appropriae;

encourage students to consider

ways o compleing heir

communiy service requiremensha involve addressing environmenal

issues in heir communiies, in a manner

consisen wih school board policy.

By Stdets Fr Stdets

When St. Martin School, o the

Superior North Catholic District

School Board, in Terrace Bay set

out to create a new green school

yard and outdoor educationclassroom, students were involved

in every phase o the project, rom

researching various types o plants

to planting and maintenance.

Students continue to develop and

maintain their green classroom,

which is enjoyed by the entire

community.


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3. Environmental Leadership

Environmenal educaion is a whole-sysem responsibiliy,

and hereore sysem leaders will play a criical role in signalling he

imporance o environmenal educaion and providing a famework

in which i is suppored, valued, and considered as par o a good

educaional oucome or every suden.

Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future, p. 11

B

y exercising environmenal responsibiliy in heir own operaions, organiza-

ions wihin he educaion sysem can serve as models o corporae ciizenship

or sudens and he broader communiy and ensure coherence wih he environ-

menal messages conveyed by he curriculum.

Sysem leaders can play a vial role in environmenal leadership by encouraging all

members o he school communiy o adop responsible environmenal behaviour

and managemen pracices.

Sysem leaders are also responsible or developing an environmenal educaion

policy, guided by his policy ramework, and school leaders play an imporan role

in developing implemenaion plans ha align wih he boards policy.

Goal

I y f y v-b

v , , .


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S T R A T E G Y 3 . 1

Icrease the extet t which evirmetal edcati is iterated

it schl bard plicies, prcedres, ad strateic plas.

actions


support school boards in developing environmental education policies

based on he environmenal educaion policy ramework;

share tools for planning environmental education activities, including

oudoor experiences, in local places;

include environmental education initiatives in its recognition programs

(or sudens, educaors, parens, school leaders, and school boards);

integrate environmental awareness and responsible environmental practices

ino aciviies conneced wih he applicaion o he Onario leadership

ramework or school and sysem leaders (e.g., by using environmenal

iniiaives as case sudies in leadership workshops);

encourage the alignment of materials

and resources or environmenal

educaion wih hose or oher iniia-

ives, such as characer developmen,

healhy schools, and he Onario FirsNaion, Mis, and Inui educaion

policy ramework, as appropriae.

School boards will:

develop or revise a school board

environmenal educaion policy ha

promoes environmenal lieracy

and environmenally responsible

managemen pracices;

in connection with their policy devel-opmen and implemenaion process:

creae a sysem-wide environmenal

educaion and managemen

commitee;

Maki Cectis

The Halton District School Board is

making connections to promote envi-ronmental education. In partnership

with Halton Region, it is encouraging

walking and biking to school through

the Active and Sae Routes to School

program, and it is also piloting a green-

cart program or waste-minimization

in several of its schools. The boards

environmental initiative also includes

the provision o environmental learning

resources, experiential learning

opportunities, an elementary Earth

Week event, and professional develop-

ment opportunities related to environ-

mental education.


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embed environmenal educaion as a prioriy in he boards sraegic plan;

develop and implemen a plan or inegraing susainable environmenal

pracices ino each o he boards operaional services;

develop an environmenal acion plan ha is annually reviewed, renewed,

and communicaed o all school board employees and rusees; review exising board recogniion programs or opporuniies o include

recogniion o responsible environmenal leadership;

inegrae in-service opporuniies relaed o environmenal educaion ino

sa developmen or all employee groups;

encourage all school board personnel, he paren involvemen commitee,

sudens, parens, and school councils o adop and promoe environmen-

ally appropriae pracices.

Schools will:

create or revise an implementation plan that aligns with the school board

environmenal educaion policy;

adopt environmentally responsible management practices that are consistent

wih board policy and consider he advice o members o he school commu-

niy on hese maters;

encourage sta to develop knowledge and skills related to environmental

educaion and responsible environmenal pracices and encourage menoring

opporuniies;

facilitate sharing of sta expertise and knowledge through existing networks.

S T R A T E G Y 3 . 2

Ehace the iterati f evirmetally respsible practices

it the maaemet f resrces, peratis, ad facilities.

actions


research and promote eective models for assisting school boards andschools in he implemenaion o is iniiaives or greening Onario schools

(such as energy conservaion and green cleaning);

support collaboration and networking, identify projects, and develop

rameworks and models or enhancing environmenally responsible

operaions in he educaion secor;


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promote partnerships with other ministries that have expertise in environ-

menal areas in order o develop sraegies and resources o suppor Onario

schools in implemening he Minisry o Educaions iniiaives or greening

Onario schools.

School boards will: implement strategies, programs, and

procedures o proec and conserve

he environmen, while ensuring ha

schools and workplace environmens

are sae and healhy;

develop environmentally responsible

purchasing pracices, while considering

qualiy, price, and service.

Schools will:

encourage sta to participate in

school or school board sessions on

environmenal susainabiliy and he

role o sa in preparing and imple-

mening he school and/or school

boards acion plan;

plan an environmentally responsible

approach o managing resources

and operaions.

Teams Prvide Schl-Based

Leadership

In the Avon Maitland District School

Board, conservation is encouraged by

specially trained school conservation

teams, consisting o the principal, the

caretaker, students, and a lead teacher.

The board also promotes conserva-

tion through school presentations on

conservation and sustainability and by

using energy-efcient technologies,

conducting school audits, and running

a conservation campaign.


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his secion provides examples o indicaors ha are linked o he goals,

sraegies, and acions o he environmenal educaion policy ramework.

Such indicaors can be used a he various sages o implemenaion o assis wih

planning and measuring progress.

Te use o indicaors can help minisry, school board, and school leaders keep in

mind a variey o consideraions ha are key o successul implemenaion. Boards

can be guided by a well-designed se o indicaors in gahering inormaion or daa

ha will inorm heir decision making. Indicaors are adapable o a wide variey o

local conexs and can be inegraed wih indicaors relaed o oher rameworks,

policies, and programs.

Te examples provided on he ollowing pages are grouped ino hree caegories,

which describe:

he saus o environmenal educaion as implemenaion begins,

he suppors ha are available o aciliae implemenaion, and

he resuls achieved a dieren sages o implemenaion.

Indicaors in hese hree caegories are reerred o as saus indicaors, aciliaive

indicaors, and eec indicaors, respecively. All hree caegories o indicaors are

used ogeher o assis wih planning and measuring progress.

Me asuring Pro gre s s


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Stats idicatrs ell you where you are a he beginning o he process. Tey

provide he baseline inormaion agains which uure progress can be measured.

Mi i st r y Sc hl B ard S c hl

Number of school boardsha have environmenaleducaion policies in place

Type of professionallearning provided

Nature of environmentaleducaion opporuniies andexpecaions provided in herevised curriculum

Type of teaching resourcesavailable

Availability of communityparnerships or environ-menal educaion purposes

Availability of environmen-al educaion raining

Availability of teachingresources

Types of environmentallyresponsible managemenpracices currenly in place

Type and number ofenvironmenal educaionresources in school libraryand classrooms

Facilitative idicatrs ell you abou he supporive conex and processes

already in place ha can aciliae implemenaion. Tey can be divided ino

conex indicaors, which describe he general supporive conex, and process

indicaors, which describe he level o engagemen o he minisry, he school

board, he school, and oher sakeholders in he process.

Mi i st r y Sc hl Bard S c hl

Availability of resourcesrom oher minisries

Availability of training

Support dedicated toschool resources orenvironmenal educaionor greening o pracices/aciliies

Type of communitygroups ha couldsuppor implemenaiona school level

Extent of participationby sakeholders

Extent of trainingalready oered

Existence of interbranchand inerminisry

mechanisms ocooperaion

Extent of participation bysakeholders and broadercommuniy

Existence of board-wideenvironmenal educaioncommitees

Existence of activitiesand programs ha useenvironmenal educaionas an inegraing heme

Existence of environmen-al educaion commiteesin schools

Existence of studentprojecs relaed oenvironmenal educaion

Level of engagement ofyouh organizaions

ContextIndicat

ors

Pro

cessIndicators


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Effect idicatrsmeasure shor-erm, mid-erm, and long-erm resuls and are

usually known as oupu, oucome, and impac indicaors, respecively.

Adaped rom able 2: Undersanding he Dierences beween ESD Indicaor ypes, inAsia-PacifcGuidelines or he Developmen o Naional ESD Indicaors (Bangkok: UNESCO, 2007), pp. 3739.

Originally published in D. ilbury and S. Janousek, Elemen 1: Summary o Documened Experiencesin Development of ESD Indicators & Element 3: Networking in Expert Groups on ESD Indicators,Repor submited by he Ausralian Research Insiue o Educaion or Susainabiliy o he AusralianGovernment Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006.

Mi ist r y Sc hl B a rd S c hl

Environmental educationinegraed ino curriculumreview process

Environmental educationinegraed ino oherrameworks and guides

Policy for environmentaleducaion esablished School board sta

paricipaing in proes-sional developmenrelaed o environmenaleducaion

Board-wide commieeesablished o coordinaeimplemenaion wihinhe board

Environmental educationplan developed Schools consider pur-

chases o resources andmaerials hrough helens o environmenaleducaion and environ-menally responsiblemanagemen

Shared inventory ofschool board pracicescreaed

Implementation plan inplace ha is renewed, re-

vised, and communicaedannually

School council providesadvice on implemenaion

Community partnersinvolved as resources orschool planning

Number of student-ocused, acion-orienedenvironmenal educaionprojecs increasing

Student leadership andengagemen improved

Alignment between

iniiaives improved,leading o beteroucomes or all sudens

Opportunities for studentleadership in environmen-al educaion increased

Environmentally responsi-ble pracices are includedin board aciviies andoperaions

Environmentally respon-sible pracices includedin school aciviies and

operaions Students are more

involved and engaged inenvironmenal educaion

Environmental educationused as an inegraingheme or planningpurposes a he wholeschool level

OutputIndicators

OutcomeIndicators

ImpactIndicators


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Cmmity Ivlvemet ad System-Wide Parterships

he Minisry o Educaion is commited o working wih educaion parnersacross Onario o realize he vision o environmenal educaion and achievehe key goals o he policy ramework or environmenal educaion in Onario.

Te minisry, school boards, and schools each have a vial role o play.

Te environmenal educaion ramework addresses he need or a unied and

cohesive approach ha will ensure consisen province-wide implemenaion.

Is developmen has been guided by he ollowing ve key principles:

1. Environmenal educaion is no only abou visible environmenal issues bu

also abou heir underlying causes, and so places an emphasis on personal

and social values and acive sewardship.

2. Suden engagemen and leadership are cenral o environmenal educaion.

3. Leadership by example means integrating elements of environmental education

and responsible environmenal pracices ino all decisions and acions.

4. Environmenal educaion mus be implemened locally so ha i is meaningul

and relevan o our diverse communiies.

5. Realizing environmenal educaion in Onario schools is a long-erm, ongoing

process ha will evolve over ime.

Tis ramework will enable Onarios young people o develop he skills, knowl-

edge, and perspecives hey will need o become engaged and environmenally

responsible ciizens.

Co nclusion


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Kwlede, Skills, ad Attitdes Develped Thrh

Evirmetal Edcati

he ollowing oulines some o he knowledge, skills, and atiudes haenvironmenal educaion should promoe among sudens.KnoWLEDgE

Evirmetal edcati shld eable stdets t lear abt:

the resources of the Earth, particularly soil, water, minerals, and air, their

characerisics, and heir role in supporing living organisms;

the nature of ecosystems and biomes, their health, and their interdependence

wihin he biosphere; the dependence of humans on environmental resources for life and sustenance;

the characteristics of human societies, including nomadic, hunter-gatherer,

agriculural, indusrial, and pos-indusrial, and he impac o each on he

naural environmen;

the role of science and technology in the development of societies and the

impac o dieren echnologies on he environmen;

the process of urbanization and the implications of deruralization;

the interconnectedness of political, economic, environmental, and social issues in

he presen world; cooperative national and international eorts to nd solutions to common

environmenal issues and o implemen sraegies or a more susainable uure.

Appe nd ix


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SKILLS

Evirmetal edcati shld eable stdets t:

dene such fundamental concepts as environment, community, development,

and echnology, and apply hese deniions in local, naional, and global

conexs; use a range of resources, communications skills, and technologies in addressing

environmenal quesions;

develop problem-solving skills and critical and creative thinking skills, including

he abiliy o reason and apply logic, o recognize and apply absrac paterns, o

ideniy connecions and relaionships beween ideas and issues, and o es ideas

agains new inormaion and agains personal experience and belies;

work towards a negotiated consensus when there are dierences of opinion;

detect and assess bias and evaluate dierent points of view;

recognize the need to incorporate an environmental perspective in decision-

making models.

ATTITuDES

Evirmetal edcati shld eable stdets t:

appreciate the resilience, fragility, and beauty of nature and develop respect for

he place and uncion o all living hings in he overall planeary ecosysem;

appreciate that human life depends on the resources of a nite planet;

appreciate the role of human ingenuity and individual creativity in ensuring sur-

vival and achieving susainable progress;

become mindful of perspectives other than their own and be prepared to modifyheir ideas and belies when appropriae (e.g., undersand and respec Firs

Naion, Mis, and Inui conceps o knowledge);

appreciate the challenges faced by the human community in dening and imple-

mening he processes needed or environmenal susainabiliy;

develop a sense of balance in decisions that involve conicting priorities;

maintain a sense of hope and a positive perspective on the future.

Adapted from Learning Outcomes on the Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) website,

at ht tp://www.lsf-lst.ca/en/teachers/learning_outcomes.php.


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Te boxed illusraions in his documen

describe projecs unded by he Minisry o

Educaion hrough he Council o Onario

Direcors o Educaion (CODE).


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shape tomorrow

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