12th Global RCE Conference Online, 2021

 

(Photo credit: The University of Edinburgh)

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: action through learning in a time of global crises

12th Global RCE Conference
Virtual (Online) 
16-18 November, 2021
Hosted by RCE Scotland and the Global RCE Service Centre, supported by Ministry of the Environment, Japan


The 12th Global RCE Conference was held online from 16-18 November, 2021, hosted by RCE Scotland the Global RCE Service Centre under the theme 'Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: action through learning in a time of global crises'.

This event provided an opportunity for participants to collectively share, explore and build on the knowledge, skills and values within the network to build the capacities and actions needed to achieve the SDGs.

The conference built on the momentum from the two Global Webinars in February and June 2021, and brought in content and reflections from COP15 on biodiversity and COP26 on climate change. 

Scottish 19th century polymath and educational visionary Sir Patrick Geddes (1854 -1932) is widely credited with developing the concept of 'sustainability', spanning environment, society and community.  He spoke about the merit in engaging 'heart, hand and head', to achieve truly transformational learning.  This holistic approach, encapsulating the ethos that underpins Education for Sustainable Development, has been used to shape the 12th Global RCE Conference programme.

DAY 1 (16 November)
'Hearts' – What kind of world do we want? How do we inspire and engage hearts and minds?
 
DAY 2 (17 November)
'Heads' – Visioning, thinking and reflecting: planning for action on ESD and the SDGs
 
DAY 3 (18 November)
'Hands' – Make it happen: taking action on ESD and the SDGs
 
The Global RCE Service Centre would like to express our gratitude to the team at RCE Scotland for their outstanding contributions, dedication, and superb organisation and hosting of the 12th Global RCE Conference. We would also like to thank the attendees from across the RCE community for their active participation, which combined, made the event a great success.
 
The full programme, presentations, list of RCE Award recipients, and photo gallery can be found below (please check back as material is continuously being added). A report of the event is available here.

Click on a section below to view:


The final programme can be downloaded here.

DAY 1 - ‘Hearts’ – what kind of world do we want? How do we inspire and engage hearts and minds? 

TIME (GMT) TUESDAY 16 NOVEMBER, 2021 OUTCOMES*
07:45

Welcome and overview of the Programme

 
07:50

Official welcomes from UNU-IAS; Ministry of Environment, Japan; and Scottish Government

  • Welcome and overview of the day from RCE Scotland
  • All official welcomes

Welcome and overview from RCE Scotland video here

All official welcomes here

08:05 

Welcome from the organisers

  • Welcome from RCE Scotland and UNU-IAS
  • Welcome to Scotland from the RCE Scotland network

Welcome from RCE Scotland and UNU-IAS here

'Welcome to Scotland' video here

08:10

Interactive activity

View Padlet here
08:20 

Keynote speaker on the theme of 'Hearts', Dr. Greg Mannion, University of Stirling, Scotland

Video here

08:45  Q&A with Keynote Speaker  
08:55

Panel session: Dr. Greg Mannion, University of Stirling, Scotland; Edward Andama, RCE Greater Eastern Uganda; Diana Páez, RCE Bogota; Kate Sposab, RCE Belarus; Mr Junayeed Matin, RCE Okayama

Video here

09:25 

Postcard from Scotland

Video here

09:30 Break / online RCE Sharing Space  View RCE Sharing Space here
09:40 

RCE ‘Action through learning: Practice Share #1’: Parallel breakout sessions 

  • 1. Connecting with Nature
  • 2. Stories for Sustainability
  • 3. Inspiring & Engaging Civic Society
  • 4. Creative, Art-based Approaches

Presentations here

Video #1 here

Video #2 here

Video #3 here

Video #4 here

10:40

Break & networking / online RCE Sharing Space 

View RCE Sharing Space here

11:00

Workshop session #1: ‘Heart: what kind of world do we want? How do we inspire and engage hearts and minds?': Parallel breakout sessions

  • 1. Appreciative Inquiry   
  • 2. Making Circles 
  • 3. Engaging Communities through Peatlands 
  • 4. Youth Work and the SDGs  

Workshop information here

Video #1 here

Video #2 here

Video #3 here

Video #4 here

12:00 

Reflective interlude

Video here

12:05 Summary of day

Practice Sharing Sessions and Workshop summaries here

Reflections on the day here

12:20

Close

 
12:30 – 13:30  Networking & sharing opportunity  

 

DAY 2 - ‘Heads’ – visioning, thinking and reflecting: planning for action on ESD and the SDGs 

TIME (GMT) WEDNESDAY 17 NOVEMBER, 2021 OUTCOMES*
10:45

Welcome Room opens

 

11:00 Welcome & overview of the day   
11:10

Interactive activity

View PDF here
11:30

Keynote speakers on the theme of ‘Heads’:

  • UN SDSN: 'Educational resources and opportunities for global actions', Shannon Kobran (Lead, SDG Academy Kuala Lumpur Office, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN-Asia))
  • UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning:  ‘Implementing ESD in learning cities’, TBD (UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL))  
Video here
12:00

Q&A session with Keynote Speakers

 
12:30 Postcard from Scotland  Video here
12:35

Break & networking / online RCE Sharing Space 

View RCE Sharing Space here
12:45

RCE ‘Action through learning: Practice Share #2’: Parallel breakout sessions 

  • 1. Strategising and understanding systems
  • 2. Futures Thinking
  • 3. Collaborating Online

Presentations here

Video #1 here

Video #2 here

Video #3 here

13:45 Break & networking / online sharing space   
14:00

Workshop session #2: ’Heads’ – visioning, thinking and reflecting: planning for action’: Parallel breakout sessions

  • 1. What Curriculum for Food Sustainability?
  • 2. Empowering Grassroots Local Action for SDGs
  • 3. Serious Games for the SDGs 
  • 4. Policy Instruments & Regulatory Tools to Support Embedding Sustainability in University & College Curricula
  • 5. UN SDGs: how to integrate them in Higher Education teaching and learning?
  • 6. 'Imagining a World without Mining': Introduction to a 2050 visioning activity

Workshop information here

Video #1 here

Video #2 here

Video #3 here

Video #4 here

Video #5 here

Video #6 here

15:00 Reflective interlude Video here
15:05 Summary of day Video here
15:20  Close  
15:30 – 16:30  Social event/networking opportunity View PDF here

 

DAY 3 - ‘Hands’ – making it happen: taking action on ESD and the SDGs

TIME (GMT) WEDNESDAY 17 NOVEMBER, 2021 OUTCOMES*
10:45

Welcome Room opens

 

11:00 Welcome & overview of the day  Video here
11:10

Update from the Global RCE Service Centre with Q&A, Dr. Philip Vaughter, UNU-IAS

Video here

View RCE Climate Projects video here

11:30

Keynote speaker on the theme of 'Hearts', Lara Freitas, Educator and Speaker

Video here
12:00 Break  
12:15

RCE ‘Action through learning: Practice Share #3’: Parallel breakout sessions 

  • 1. Learning with Nature
  • 2. Learning to Build Sustainability
  • 3. Partnerships for Action
  • 4. Action for Clean, Green, Peaceful Places

Presentations here

Video #1 here

Video #2 here

Video #3 here

Video #4 here

Summary video here

13:15

Regional Parallel Sessions 

  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe

'Africa' Regional Parallel Session

'Americas' Regional Parallel Session

'Asia-Pacific Regional Parallel Session

'Europe' Regional Parallel Session

14:00

Plenary from Regional Sessions 

Video here
14:40 Postcard from Scotland 

Video here (live version)

Video here (recorded version)

14:50

RCE Youth Climate Art Challenge

RCE Awards ceremony 

RCE Youth Climate Art Challenge live version and video here

RCE Awards live version and video here

15:30  Summary of conference  Video here
16:00  Close  
16:00-17:00 Networking and sharing opportunity  

*These presentations have been prepared by the presenters listed beside each item. Its contents and features are the sole responsibility of the authors. For questions and comments please contact the authors.


HEARTS 

CASE STUDY* PRESENTER/S
Connecting with Nature
The Hawkesbury-Nepean Riverkeepers: A community voice of the River Jen Dollin, RCE Greater Western Sydney
Inspiring School Children on Trees for Nutrition and Environmental Conservation Esther Kitur, RCE Greater Nairobi
Stories for Sustainability
Climate Stories Thomas R. Hudspeth, RCE Greater Burlington
Seven Knowledge of the Education of the Future and Intercultural Knowledge in Times of COVID-19: Towards the metamorphosis of consciousness for sustainability! Javier Carbajal Mendoza, RCE Lima-Callao
Inspiring and Engaging Civic Society
Implementation of Well Being of Future Generations Act (2015) Wales. Public Services Boards Working Together for Community Recovery Enabled by a Co-created Civic Mission  Nina Ruddle, RCE Wales (Cymru)
Decade "ESD for All" Inesa Zubrylina, RCE Belarus
Creative, Art-based Approaches
Walking Out of the Anthropocene: Reworking Education for Sustainable Development with Indigenous and Arts-based Pedagogies 
Additional information from RCE British Colombia
David Zandvliet, RCE British Columbia
Integrating Education for Sustainable Development into Arts Education – a case study on the Global Science Opera project  Jonathan Harris, RCE London

 

HEADS

CASE STUDY* PRESENTER/S
Strategising and Understanding Systems

Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change Impact in Food Security
Additional information from RCE Lima-Callao

Javier Carbajal Mendoza, RCE Lima-Callao
Education for Climate Action for Peace (E4CAP)  Norani Binti Abu Bakar, RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur
Futures Thinking
'Helping the Panchayati Raj Institutions Integrate SDGs into their Development Plans' Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar
Minsk Summer School 'Climate Change vs. Climate Action' Kate Sposob, RCE Belarus
Collaborating Online
ICT for Teacher Training to Address Education for Sustainable Development in New Normal Education Nanung Agus Fitriyanto, RCE Yogyakarta
Online Program on Empowering Students' Leadership in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer Nur Syazwana Hamzah, RCE Penang

 

HANDS

CASE STUDY* PRESENTER/S
Learning with Nature
STEM By Nature: STEM teaching & learning in nature settings, using outdoor learning approaches Rebecca Logsdon, RCE Scotland
Nature is the Best Classroom Marisa Costa, RCE Porto Metropolitan Area
Learning to Build Sustainability
Bamboo Production, Rehabilitation and Processing: sources of food, livelihood and environmental protection  Charlie B. Batin, RCE Ilocos
Vertically Integrated Projects for Sustainable Development Scott Strachan, RCE Scotland
Apprentices for Sustainability David Rangan, RCE Denmark
Partnerships for Action
Shifting UGM Community Service Activities in Addressing SDGs in the Early COVID-19 Pandemic Zuliyati Rohmah, RCE Yogyakarta
The RCE SDG Youth Challenge: Youth for the Goals - Leveraging Networks for SDG Action Brittany Hardiman, RCE Greater Western Sydney
SPARK the Movement - 'It takes the region to educate a child' Heleentje Swart, RCE Fryslân
Action for Green, Clean, Peaceful Places
Earth Successor: A Sustainable Development Global Citizen Program Shi Lei Yeo, RCE Hangzhou
Mainstreaming Cleanliness Elements at the Local Level   Ravleen Singh, RCE Chandigarh
Community Based Waste Management for Employment Creation, Food Security, Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Muguro David Ngige, RCE North Rift

*These materials have been prepared by the RCE listed beside each item. Its contents and features are the sole responsibility of the authors. For questions and comments please contact the authors.


AFRICA

Video

 

AMERICAS

Video

 

ASIA-PACIFIC

Video

 

EUROPE

Video


HEARTS: What kind of world do we want? How do we inspire and engage hearts and minds?

WORKSHOP* PRESENTER/S
Appreciative Inquiry: An Approach to the ESD for 2030 Roadmap and the Future We Want, the UN we Need Dr. Brittany Foutz, RCE Salisbury
Making Circles – Changing the Way we Design, Make and Use Things in a Circular Economy   Ms. Mary Michel, RCE Scotland
Engaging Communities with Climate Change through Peatlands  Ms. Laura Curtis-Moss, RCE Scotland
Youth Work's Contribution to the SDGs Ms. Naomi Dixon, RCE Scotland

 

HEADS: Visionining, thinking and reflecting: planning for action on ESD and the SDGs

WORKSHOP* PRESENTER/S
What Curriculum for Food Sustainability? Dr. Laura Colucci-Gray, RCE Scotland
Empowering Grassroots Local Action for SDGs: Theme based toolkits, strategies & good practices for reflection & action Ms. Ros Wade, RCE London
Serious Games for Accelerating Progress Towards UN Sustainable Development Goals Ms. Dianne Cantali, RCE Scotland
Policy Instruments & Regulatory Tools to Support Embedding Sustainability in University & College Curricula: lessons from the Scottish experience Ms. Rebecca Petford, RCE Scotland
UN SDGs: how to integrate them in Higher Education teaching and learning? Dr. Vasiliki Kioupi, RCE London
'Imagining a World without Mining': Introduction to a 2050 visioning activity Dr. Joám Evans Pim / Dr. Iolanda Mato Creo, RCE Galicia

*These materials have been prepared by the RCE listed beside each item. Its contents and features are the sole responsibility of the authors. For questions and comments please contact the authors.


The awardees of the first ever RCE Youth Climate Art Challenge were featured at the 12th Global RCE Conference, showcasing their works of art focusing on SDG 13 (Climate Action) that engage with 'hearts, hands, or heads' - the sub-themes for this year's 12th Global RCE Conference.

Read more about the awarded entries here, and take a look at the video launched at the Conference, celebrating the submissions and awarded entries:


2021 RCE Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Established in 2012, the RCE Award celebrates projects and programmes on ESD within the Global RCE Network, honouring RCEs who have made outstanding contributions to address local sustainable development challenges in their regions. 

The Award recognises projects and programmes that bridge local and global perspectives on sustainable development, those that engage with transformative learning and research, and initiatives that contribute to community engagement, research & development and capacity development of stakeholders and partners.

The winners of the 2021 RCE Awards, presented at the 12th Global RCE Conference held online from 16-18 November, 2021 covered projects across the SDGs and themes including Climate Action, Curriculum Development, Waste, Agriculture, Responsible Consumption & Production, Traditional Knowledge, Sustainable Cities and Communities and Quality Education. Recipients were awarded across three categories: (1) Outstanding Flagship Project, (2) Acknowledged Flagship Project, and (3) Honourable Mention.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

 

 

OUTSTANDING FLAGSHIP PROJECT
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Thematic Category: Waste
 
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 13: Climate Action; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
RCE Georgetown - The CCU Solar Ambassador Team
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Thematic Category: Agriculture
 
RCE Greater Kuala Lumpur - Peace and Unity in Diversity Education
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; Thematic Category: Agriculture
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
RCE Stettiner Haff ResidenZukunft - Time for Future
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; Thematic Category: Agriculture

 

ACKNOWLEDGED FLAGSHIP PROJECT
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Traditional Knowledge
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 2: Zero Hunger; Thematic Category: N/A
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 13: Climate Action; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; Thematic Category: Traditional Knowledge
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 

RCE Penang - Empowering Students’ Leadership in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer 2021
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development
 
RCE North Texas - SDG Cities Challenge
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development

 

HONOURABLE MENTION
SDG 15: Life on Land; Thematic Category: Plants & Animals
 

RCE Greater Dhaka - Students Engagements in Sustainability Activities
SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development

RCE Greater Portland Food Security in Uncertain Times: A Regional College Collaboration
SDG 2: Zero Hunger; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development

RCE Kuching - RCE Asia-Pacific Thematic Collaboration: Rivers, Water and Livelihoods
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development

 


View photos from the event in our Facebook photo album here.


Inspiration, ideas and resources from across the globe - visit the RCE Sharing Space here.


RCE GLOBAL WEBINAR #1
In the lead-up to the 12th Global RCE Conference, the hosts RCE Scotland hosted two pre-conference webinars.

The first of these, 'RCE Global Network 2021: Achieving the SDGs: Action through Learning' was held on 4 February, 2021 from 8:00-10:00am GMT.  

Thank you to all who participated, and thank you to RCE Scotland for organising a wonderful event! Read a report of the event here.

RCE GLOBAL WEBINAR #2 
The second webinar was held on 8 June, 2021 from 8:00-10:00am GMT.

Again, thank you to RCE Scotland for their outstanding organisation, and to those who participated for your contributions. Read a report of the event here.

PRESENTATIONS
Materials from both events are available here.

Event_Info: 
Online, 2021