Course – Education, Ethics and Values for Sustainability

This masterclass on Education, Ethics and Values for Sustainability will take place on June 22 to 26, 2015. The subtitle for the course is “Transformative teaching and learning with the the Earth Charter.” This masterclass is designed for educators in formal and informal settings, whether in schools, universities, NGOs, or training centers.


Under the framework of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter, this programme offers an opportunity to deepen understanding on the role of education in fostering sustainability.

The programme empowers educators to create practical and meaningful experiences that give power and significance to the ethical principles and values of the Earth Charter. The programme explores how to craft learning experiences that go beyond rational logic and touch on emotional learning abilities. The Earth Charter, when introduced and used in vibrant and tangible ways, provides a transformative force and offers an essential foundation for sustainability to succeed.

The programme deepens the concept of sustainable development and its implications for education, learning, and change. It explores practical methods for introducing sustainability values into educational settings.

This programme will offer you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and experience of:

• The Earth Charter principles
• Education for Sustainable Development and The Earth Charter Pedagogy
• The sustainability vision articulated in the Earth Charter
• Resource Materials that you can use in your teaching

Application & Praxis:

• Develop a place-based education programme using the Earth Charter
• Strategically integrate values and principles of sustainability and the Earth Charter into learning environments
• Case Studies, Lessons Learned, and Current Research trends
• Build on the most recent understanding from the neurosciences to inform teaching

Return Home with:

• Skills, resources, and support for implementing or extending Education for Sustainable Development initiatives
• Deeper understanding Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter
• A Certification of Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter (CEU credits will be available)
• An extended network of new partners and professionals practicing ESD advocacy

Experience:

• Immersion into Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter
• Engagement with like-minded individuals committed to the practices of education for sustainable development.
• Practical knowledge for engaging education for sustainable development and the Earth Charter in multiple settings.
• A sensory engagement with nature in beautiful Costa Rica.
• The joy of learning that is integrated with imagination and creativity.

Facilitators

Dr. Sam Crowell is professor emeritus of education at California State University–San Bernardino and a founder and co-director of the MA in Holistic and Integrative Education and the Center for Holistic and Integrative Learning. He has worked as an elementary school teacher, a principal, an administrator, and a university professor. He considers himself a holistic educator and an advocate of the artistry of teaching. He has been actively engaged with Education for Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter and co-authored the book, “The Re-Enchantment of Learning: A Manual for Teacher Renewal and Classroom Transformation” published by Corwin Press, and just released his new book, “Emergent Teaching: A Path of Creativity, Significance, and Transformation”

Mirian Vilela is the Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat and the Center for Education for Sustainable Development at UPEACE. Mirian has been working with the Earth Charter Initiative since early 1996. She is coordinating the newly established UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter. She is also a member of the UNESCO Expert Reference Group for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and has been a visiting professor on Sustainable Development at the University for Peace since 2005. Over the years she has lead and facilitated numerous international workshops, courses, and seminars on values and principles for sustainability. Mirian holds a Master´s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she was an Edward Mason Fellow. She is originally from Brazil.

Why participate in sustainability training?

The need for sustainability education stems from real life problems that affect all levels of societies around the world. Incorporating Earth Charter values into our lives and communities can move societies towards a better, more sustainable future. Some of the benefits of this program are:

Expanding your expertise in the field of sustainability education and ethics.
Augmenting your ability to foster social growth in your community.
Acquiring tools that assist in implementing sustainability education.
Networking within the global community of Earth Charter educators.

Why choose the Earth Charter?

The Earth Charter serves as a practical ethical framework that can be easily integrated into any curriculum or classroom activity. The Earth Charter is a document that was a result of a decade-long, global effort to articulate the values and principles of sustainable development. The ethical vision of these fundamental principles expresses a universal aspiration for a just, peaceful, and sustainable future, in order to promote the transition to more sustainable ways of living. In 2004, UNESCO adopted a Resolution (Reference 32C/17) which includes the following:

Recognize the Earth Charter as an important ethical framework for sustainable development, and acknowledge its ethical principles, its objectives and its contents, as an expression that coincides with UNESCO’s vision set forth in its Medium-Term Strategy for 2002-2007.

Affirm the Member States’ intention to utilize the Earth Charter as an educational tool, particularly in the framework of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
Location

The new Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development is located at the UN mandated University for Peace and it is within one of the biggest natural reserves of the Costa Rican Central Valley, 30 km/20 miles outside of the capital, San José. The new Center has been designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. It is the first educational facility in Costa Rica to receive a LEED certificate.

Payment

Tuition: US$1,500* (This tuition fee includes course materials, a
field trip, refreshments, lunches and the local transportation).

10 percent discount for full payment two months in
advance of the course and 30 percent discount for registration and
payment for a group of three or more participants. Limited places
available!

The tuition fee must be paid in full at the latest two weeks before the beginning of the course, otherwise you risk losing your spot in the course.

All participants will be awarded a certificate upon completion of the course. CEU credits will be available. 

Click  here for more information or to register.