The Toronto RCE: A North American Perspective

1
The Toronto RCEA North American Perspective

• April 2006
• Yokohama, Japan

2
Presentation Overview

• Overview of Toronto Region
• Toronto Regional Challenges
• Goals of Toronto RCE
• Types of Educational Organizations
• Examples of Potential RCE Activities
• Influences Affecting Success
• RCE Start-Up Activities
• Questions

3
Toronto 5th Largest City
4
Map Southern Ontario
5
Greater Golden Horseshoe
6
Map - Greater Toronto Area
7
Toronto Regional Challenges

• Regional Growth
• Waste Management
• Energy Generation and Conservation
• Transportation Air Quality
• Community Respect and Harmony
• Safety
• Sustainable Infrastructure
• Greening

8
Triple Point of ESD

9
Goals of the Toronto RCE

• Enhancing public awareness and understanding of
  sustainable development
• Improving the quality of public education by
  enhancing the quality and availability of
  sustainable development curriculum
• Recognizing and changing the role of North
  Americans in sustainable development practices
  (including shifts in behaviour and production and
  consumption patterns)
• Developing specialized professional learning
  programs

10
Goals of the RCE (continued)

• Short-term objectives
• Identifying and forming a working coalition of
  messengers of education for sustainable
  development (ESD)
• Identifying public awareness and training
  strategies in the Toronto region
• Conducting an inventory of ESD initiatives within
  Toronto to help build a knowledge-base about
  local resources

11
Goals of the RCE (continued)

• Long-term objectives
• Identify the sources of current data and
  information regarding sustainability issues,
  programs and policies facing the whole Toronto
  Region and work to infuse these into the ongoing
  initiatives of educators, trainers, and media
  specialists
• Integrate local sustainability challenges into
  the information/education flow of formal,
  informal and non-formal education in the whole
  Toronto Region

12
ESD, Types of Educational Organizations and
Potential Partners

• Formal
• School Boards
• University of Toronto
• York University
• Ryerson University
• Seneca College

13
ESD, Types of Educational Organizations and
Potential Partners (continued)

• Informal
• Toronto Zoo
• Toronto Regional Conservation Authority

14
ESD, Types of Educational Organizations and
Potential Partners (continued)

• Non-Formal
• City of Toronto
• Toronto Hydro
• Ontario Power Authority
• Exhibition Place
• United Way
• Toronto Board of Trade
• Citizens Environment Watch
• Learning for a Sustainable Future
• Evergreen Foundation
• Toronto Community Foundation
• Pollution Probe

15
Examples of Potential Toronto RCE Activities

• ESD Audit - All partners
• ESD Curriculum Development and Evaluation -
  School Boards, Universities, CAATs, Toronto Zoo,
  TRCA, Learning for a Sustainable Future,
  Citizens Environment Watch, Toronto Hydro, OPA,
  Pollution Probe
• Informal Learning Initiatives Toronto Zoo,
  TRCA, Museums, Science Centres, Universities,
  School Boards

16
Examples of Potential Toronto RCE Activities
(continued)

• Safe Neighborhoods and Schools - United Way,
  School Boards, Toronto Community Foundation, City
  of Toronto
• Clean City Initiatives - City, Toronto Board of
  Trade, Toronto Community Foundation

17
Examples of Potential Toronto RCE Activities
(continued)

• Sustainable Infrastructure Planning - City,
  Seneca College, Universities, Toronto Board of
  Trade, Evergreen Foundation
• Greening Initiatives - City, Toronto Board of
  Trade, Toronto Community Foundation, Exhibition
  Place, Pollution Probe, Toronto Zoo, Universities
• Research on Regional Growth - Universities,
  Seneca College, City, Province of Ontario

18
Influences Affecting Success for Toronto RCE

• Educational
• What Shall
• Be Done
• Technical What Can
• Be Done
• Political
• What Will Be Done

19
RCE Start-Up Activities

• Initial Coordination City of Toronto and Toronto
  Zoo
• Established Steering Committee
• Inaugural Partners Launch April 2006
• Partners to determine Governance Structure
• Draft Partnership Principles
• Initial Tasks inventory, database
• Prepare 10-year work plan
• Create broader regional focus as RCE matures