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Sustainable Development and the Province of Manitoba

Manitoba is fortunate to have a clean, natural environment, and vast water resources, although some of these natural resources are under threat from a number of environmental pressures. The province of Manitoba wants to ensure a sustainable environment and prosperous economic future for our children and grandchildren and has been working to achieve a greener future for all Manitobans.

In 1997, the province of Manitoba passed the Sustainable Development Act (SDA) to create a framework through which sustainable development was to be implemented in the provincial public sector and promoted in private industry and in society generally. In the SDA, the Brundtland Report’s definition of sustainable development was adopted—“meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Manitoba Government, 2011).

Government departments, crown corporations, health authorities, local governments, school divisions,Footnote 1 universities, and colleges are now required to adopt a ­sustainability approach and carry out activities consistent with the principles and guidelines found in the SDA. Manitoba was the first province in Canada to pass such an act.

The Act established the Manitoba Round Table for Sustainable Development, an advisory body to the government, as well as the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund (SDIF) that provided about C$3.6 million annually to support sustainability projects. Some of the projects funded through the SDIF supported K-12 sustainability learning and action projects such as school yard greening, greening institutional operations, and creation of curriculum resources. The SDIF fund, however, has not been able to offer grants since 2009 due to fiscal restraints in government. Nevertheless, both the Round Table and the SDIF have served to demonstrate and communicate the government’s solid commitment to sustainability—a commitment that has survived a change in government. Cabinet Ministers sit at the round table and this political commitment has been the key to promoting education for sustainable development (ESD). Furthermore, involvement by education leaders at the national and international levels has also helped to raise the profile of ESD and establish a reaffirming and supportive environment for moving forward provincially. The priority accorded to ESD in Manitoba stemmed from a fortuitous combination of factors, including the publication of Our Common Future (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) and the presence of politicians and civil servants within the senior levels of government who understood the call for sustainable development and decided to respond to it.

Many key issues and agendas are connected to sustainable development in Manitoba. Since the establishment of the Act, the Manitoba government has implemented initiatives, laws, and programs aimed at protecting and improving the province’s environment. Some of these include Climate Change Action Plan, Beyond Kyoto 2002–2008 (Manitoba Government, 2002); Manitoba’s Water Strategy; Manitoba’s Green and Growing Strategy; Manitoba’s Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Act; and Next Steps Beyond Kyoto 2008. All have helped to push sustainability to the forefront in Manitoba. In addition to the aforementioned, ministerial communication messages have been clear regarding the importance of learning to live and work in a sustainable way.

Manitoba’s sustainability efforts have been recognized by several independent bodies like the David Suzuki Foundation, the Canadian Energy Alliance, and by the influential Business Week magazine that placed former Premier Gary Doer in the list of the top 20 international leaders who are combating climate change. Former Premier Doer was the only Canadian leader on this list. The magazine also ranked Manitoba as the number one regional government in the world for battling climate change (Manitoba Government, 2005).

A Culture of ESD in Manitoba Schools

Linking education and sustainable development is a high priority in Manitoba. Education is a primary agent of transformation toward sustainability, increasing people’s capacities to transform their visions for society into reality. Educated citizens who have learned to make decisions that consider the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development will create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations in Manitoba. In pursuing these goals, a priority area for education in Manitoba is the presence of high-quality, responsive educational opportunities for all students.

In Canada, education is the exclusive responsibility of the provinces/territories. There is no federal department of education. Departments or ministries of education are responsible for the organization, delivery, and assessment of education at the elementary and secondary levels (K-12) (Council of Ministers of Education Canada [CMEC], n.d.). The ministers responsible for education in the provinces/territories come together in the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) to discuss matters of mutual interest, undertake educational initiatives cooperatively, and represent the interests of provinces and territories nationally and internationally (CMEC, 2011).

In Manitoba, the Department of Education oversees educational policy for K-12 in schools. The primary responsibilities of Manitoba Education are to facilitate the improvement of learning at the K-12 levels. Emphasis is placed on enhancing learner performance, delineating roles and responsibilities across the education system, and facilitating the development and sharing of new knowledge. The overall responsibilities of the Department of Education include:

  • Providing leadership and setting strategic direction for education,

  • Articulating appropriate legislative and regulatory structures,

  • Allocating funds to the Province’s public and independent school systems, and

  • Representing the Province in negotiations with the federal and other governments.

Manitoba Education also shapes the content of schooling in the province through the development of the provincial curriculum. At the provincial level, consultants are responsible for coordinating and facilitating curriculum development, including the production of guides providing teaching strategies, background information, learning resources, and student materials.

As a result of Manitoba’s strong commitment to sustainable development, in 2000, Manitoba Education created the provincial position of Sustainable Development Coordinator, the first of its kind within an Education Department/Ministry in the country. The position of Sustainable Development Coordinator was created to provide support and leadership toward enhancing a culture of ESD in school divisions and postsecondary institutions across the province. The issue of sustainability was deemed too important to be included as an addition to an already diverse government employee’s portfolio of responsibilities; it required intense focus on its own.

The first task for the Sustainable Development Coordinator was to create a guide to assist Manitoba curriculum developers and educators to integrate sustainability concepts into new and existing curricula. What resulted was the document, Education for a Sustainable Future: A Resource for Curriculum Developers, Teachers, and Administrators (Manitoba Government, 2000). The document was interdisciplinary in approach, and provided direction for the integration of sustainability knowledge, skills, values, and life practices within the curriculum, the classroom, and the community.

Following this, in 2004, the provincial Ministry of Education declared ESD to be one of the Ministry’s top priorities and developed a provincial Education for Sustainability Action Plan (2004–2008) that directed the first steps in fostering teaching and learning for sustainability in elementary and secondary classrooms (Manitoba Government, 2004). The aim of the action plan was to support educators in their efforts to teach about and for sustainability. The action plan committed the Department of Education to a comprehensive suite of actions to be carried out across Manitoba including:

  • Integrate sustainable development concepts into new curricula.

  • Conduct teacher training workshops and other projects that enhance teaching and learning for sustainability, such as the UNESCO Associated School Project Network.

  • Develop a Web site focused on ESD.

  • Establish grants for educators to collaboratively plan, develop, and implement sustainability focused curriculum units.

  • Focus information, best practices, and learning resources on education for sustainable development.

  • Establish a provincial ESD working group to create a culture for education for sustainability.

  • Provide for benchmarking and tracking of sustainability outcomes in the curriculum.

In 2009, Manitoba Education took a significant step when it embedded sustainability in its mission statement by stating:

To ensure that all Manitoba’s children and youth have access to an array of educational opportunities such that every learner experiences success through relevant, engaging and high quality education that prepares them for lifelong learning and citizenship in a democratic, socially just and sustainable society [emphasis added].

Sustainability is also included in the overarching goals found in the mandate: “To ensure education in Manitoba supports students experiencing and learning about what it means to live in a sustainable manner [emphasis added].”

Manitoba is currently the only Department/Ministry of Education in Canada that has sustainable development as part of its mission and vision statement. In Manitoba, these are the top five priority action areas:

  1. 1.

    Education for Sustainable Development,

  2. 2.

    Education in Low-income Communities,

  3. 3.

    Aboriginal Education,

  4. 4.

    Education in Rural Manitoba, and

  5. 5.

    Education in Northern Communities.

By embedding sustainability into the mission statement, the Ministry of Education helped early adopters (i.e., existing sustainable development champions within the schools) develop a sense of validation of the importance of their sustainability efforts. It also communicated to the education community that education for sustainable development is important, compelling others to get involved.

It should be noted that many schools in Manitoba had been involved in identifying and addressing local sustainability matters prior to ESD becoming a priority in Manitoba. A number of individual schools and school divisions across Manitoba were actively involved in a wide range of sustainability projects and programs. In many cases, individual schools participated in one or more certification or awards programs and/or have received grants to undertake sustainability activities. Since ESD became a priority, several school divisions have created sustainable development policies and mission statements. Due to the increasing importance of ESD in Manitoba, Manitoba Education added a Sustainable Development Consultant to its staff in 2007 to provide ESD professional development, training, and curricular support in the infusing of ESD into K-12 schools and school divisions in the province.

With the launch of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) in 2005, the province of Manitoba has taken a leadership position in support of the UNDESD and has been active in all aspects of education for sustainable development (ESD).

Partnerships for Education for Sustainable Development

Manitoba Education recognized early on that in order to prepare students to live more sustainably, additional educational supports would be required, such as funding, in-service and pre-service professional development, and ESD resources. All of these require a coordinated partnership approach to ESD. Manitoba also took the approach that ESD should not be imposed from above, but rather, it should be built upon local understanding and on the practices that currently exist in ESD in our schools and school divisions and communities. Manitoba Education partnered with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, schools and school divisions, and government departments to strengthen and expand its reach and effectiveness. Some of its key partners include: Ducks Unlimited, Manitoba Forestry Association, Manitoba Hydro, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Learning for a Sustainable Future, FortWhyte Alive, the Earth Charter, and Arts Junction. Manitoba Education co-chairs the Manitoba Education for Sustainable Development Working Group (MESDWG) and supports ESD work of the Manitoba Teacher’s Society, Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, the Manitoba Association of School Business officials, and the Manitoba School Board Association. All of these organizations are doing important work to move ESD forward in Manitoba.

MESDWG was established in 2005 to provide a focal point for interested parties (government departments, NGOs, school divisions, postsecondary institutions, and community members) to become involved and work together to create a culture of ESD in Manitoba. Through sharing of experiences and planning collaborative activities, the MESDWG plays a key role in ESD. The MESDWG also helped to reaffirm that ESD is not restricted to the formal education sector but can—and must—play a substantial role in the non-formal and informal sectors as well. This was the first such working group to be established in Canada. Six other such provincial and territorial working groups have since been established.

The same year (2005), the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) chose Manitoba to represent the provinces and territories in matters related to ESD (nationally and internationally). Manitoba Education Deputy Minister, Gerald Farthing, represents ESD internationally for Canada through the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) and, after serving on the ESD Steering Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, has now accepted the position of chair for the remainder of the decade.

The CMEC Education for Sustainable Development Working Group (CMEC-ESDWG) was established in 2008 and is made up of representatives from ministries of education across Canada. Its purpose is to act on the commitments made in the Statement on Education for Sustainable Development and the Learn Canada 2020 declaration and to develop a pan-Canadian ESD Framework for Collaboration and Action that builds on current activities for enhanced collaboration at the jurisdictional level (CMEC, 2010).

This national/international role informs efforts closer to home, where the Manitoba Department of Education and the CMEC ESD working group focuses on partnerships to support school divisions, schools, and individual teachers as they strive to educate about and for sustainability.

Governance

Manitoba’s action plan, noted previously, was based on a provincially developed policy (The Sustainable Development Act) that helped to create a ripple effect of policy creation and action at the local school division level (Manitoba Government, 2004). Since 2008 or in some cases before, ESD has become a divisional priority in a majority of school divisions in the province, especially those participating in the Sustainability and Education Academy (SEdA). This seminar targeted senior education personnel in school divisions with the goal of “creating a culture of sustainable development integrated into all aspects of the K-12 educational system.” The SEdA seminars have been instrumental in assisting with systemic ESD change in Manitoba (Buckler & MacDiarmid, 2011a). School leaders and administrators play a central role in creating a culture of ESD in Manitoba. Their leadership has helped to create the commitment and participation required from all parts of the school community to embed sustainability effectively into school level policies, programs, and practices (see Chap. 6).

In order to further the action plan at the division level, funding was provided by Manitoba Education as well as private sector partners to both individual schools and school divisions. The Ministry, in partnership with Manitoba Hydro, introduced a funding program in 2006 that provided 15 grants of up to C$2,000 for schools to cover teacher release time, professional development, and educational resources to support ESD action projects. These grants are still available and, in 2011, 58 proposals were submitted from 26 school divisions in the province. The recipients have been highlighted on the provincial ESD Web site.Footnote 2

At that same time (2006), an ESD categorical grant was provided through the Ministry to school divisions based on a formula of C$700 per school annually. This allowed the ESD funding to be more systemic for schools in the province. The intent of this ESD categorical grant was to support schools/school divisions in their efforts to incorporate ESD into all aspects of school division and school activities, operations, and programming. Schools use these grants for a variety of initiatives such as recycling and composting programs, outdoor learning classrooms and school gardens, social action projects, and resource acquisition; to name just a few. The ESD action projects initiated by teachers and students are an integral part of School Division’s Sustainable Development Plan.

In 2008, The Eco-Globe Schools recognition program was established to celebrate the ESD journey of K-12 schools in Manitoba. It recognizes three levels of commitment and participation of the whole school: Awareness, Action, and Transformation.

It should also be noted that some Manitoba schools have adopted international and national (ESD) frameworks and principles, such as UNESCO-profile schools. Other schools have been recognized for their environmental actions through the green schools program organized by the Society, Environment, Education, Development (SEED) Foundation. Two schools in Manitoba have reached Earth IV status with SEED Canada’s Green Schools Project. Reaching Earth IV means the students have made 4,000 positive actions to help the environment. The actions range from turning off the tap when they brush their teeth, to taking hazardous waste to be recycled instead of adding it to the landfill.

Manitoba Education has also created a number of sustainable development resources, including A Guide for Sustainable Schools in Manitoba (Swayze, Buckler, & MacDiarmid, 2010). This guide supports schools in their development and implementation of more sustainable practices and processes.

Curriculum/Teaching and Learning

Manitoba Education took an integrated approach to the implementation of sustainable development into the curriculum rather than developing a stand-alone course. ESD is embedded in the K-12 curriculum with specific outcomes established in science, social studies, health and physical education. Any new curriculum that is being developed is being analyzed, for example technical vocational education, to determine where sustainable development concepts can be incorporated.

In 2008, Manitoba Education embraced the principles of sustainable development expressed in the Earth Charter (2000). Since then, schools have been finding a wide variety of ways to apply the Charter. For example, students all across Manitoba participate in youth forums and action projects; social studies and science curricula are being designed with outcomes connected to the principles of the Charter; and educators in Manitoba are developing initiatives in their own schools that foster the culture of sustainability.

In addition to integrating ESD into the curriculum and embracing the principles of the Earth Charter, Manitoba Education is updating its Grade 12 World Issues course to become Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability, including a strong emphasis on sustainability and what it means to be an ecologically literate citizen. This course consolidates student learning across the disciplines and across the years to help students develop competencies that will allow them to live together as active citizens, who appreciate their place in nature and in society and are willing to work together toward a sustainable future. It is designed to help students develop a critical awareness about global issues, to alert them to the urgent need for vigilance regarding the consequences of our individual and collective decisions, and to provide them with opportunities to take socially responsible action.

Manitoba Education is in the process of creating a document which would ­identify K-12 student ESD competencies. These ESD student competencies are being developed to assist educators to understand what knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviors/actions are needed to ensure a sustainable future. Student competencies shape the direction of learning by using the ESD outcomes in the ­curriculum to incorporate sustainability into learning.

In our efforts to prepare young people to enter the labor market, we are also exploring what job opportunities are available to help our young people make a living in a more sustainable way. What are the skills needed to meet the growing demand in the area of green jobs? Manitoba Education is working on the creation of a Green Jobs and Sustainable Development Careers Guidebook. This resource will provide essential tools for students, guidance counselors, and other educators interested in learning more about green jobs and sustainable development careers.

In March 2011, the Government announced new funding to support the Technical Vocation Initiative (TVI) in order to help give students the tools and skills they need to meet the growing demand in the green jobs sector for workers who possess technical vocational skills. The 4-year program initiative will build on the success already achieved through TVI and expand to new focus areas including green technologies and alternative and renewable energy sources that will focus on programming in energy-efficient and sustainable technologies with emphasis on geothermal, biomass, solar, and wind.

Capacity Building for ESD

Manitoba teachers have a critical role to play in the promotion of sustainable development. Through their teaching, they influence and help shape young people’s values and behaviors. In 2007, Manitoba Education placed a stronger emphasis on building the capacity of in-service teachers in order to enhance their knowledge of ESD (curriculum, processes, and approaches) and to develop a common understanding for ESD.

ESD training sessions have been conducted throughout the province by Manitoba Education and NGOs, providing educators with information, resources, activities, and initiatives they can adapt and use in their individual schools. For many teachers, ESD was synonymous with environmental issues and the ESD training sessions helped them to understand that ESD is much broader and encompasses economic and socio-cultural issues as well as addressing the learning skills, perspectives, and values of their students. By focusing on capacity building for in-service teachers, this effort is building a community of practitioners who are able to promote and engage their students in everyday sustainable practices, not only in classroom activities, but as a way of life.

As mentioned previously, in 2007 Manitoba Education began offering the Sustainability and Education Academy (SEdA) to provide learning opportunities for senior level officials of schools and school divisions on how to integrate sustainable development into all aspects of the K-12 education system (e.g., governance, facilities and operations, curriculum, teaching and learning, and capacity building). Follow-up post-SEdA meetings have been held with SEdA alumni to share their progress and challenges and a post-SEdA kit and guide has been developed and distributed to facilitate professional development within school divisions along with the DVD “What is Sustainable Development,” featuring Chuck Hopkins (see Chap. 2).

SEdA has had a significant impact, since its inception. To date, 26 of the 36 school divisions in the province have attended the SEdA seminar with many school divisions sending new cohorts in successive years to further develop its capacity. School divisions began planning and developing sustainable development action plans and some in creating divisional ESD committees with representatives from each school. Sustainable Development action plans and policies in schools are important as they reinforce sustainability as a “whole school” issue, one that extends beyond the curriculum and addresses the entire planning and management of the school facility. Some school divisions have put in place a part-time consultant in their division to coordinate and support the ESD committees and staff in schools.

In addition to the direct impacts SEdA has had in schools, it has also prompted the creation of a number of strategic partnerships. For example, the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre participated in SEdA in 2008 and since then has developed a partnership with Manitoba Education to enhance linkages between First Nations Schools and the provincial education system in the implementation of ESD. Manitoba Education has another partnership with FortWhyte Alive, one of Canada’s pre-eminent sustainable living education facilities. They plan to provide teacher professional development for a program entitled, Learning to Live Sustainably in an Urban Environment, as well as developing programs around Arctic Science for students.

Manitoba Education has recently partnered with universities’ Faculties of Education in the province to engage in discussion, reflection, and action around preparing teacher candidates to assist students in obtaining the knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values that will guide and motivate them to work and live in a sustainable manner. In November 2009, Manitoba Education hosted an ESD Seminar for faculty members in partnership with Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) and the Deans of Education to explore what ESD means for the Faculties of Education in Manitoba (Buckler & MacDiarmid, 2011b). This was the first time that deans and other faculty members gathered together to discuss ESD. As a result of this seminar, a committee was formed made up of representatives from the Faculty of Education with the task of developing recommendations for the Deans of Education and Manitoba Education to consider. Since its establishment, the committee has met several times to explore issues such as;

  • Where is ESD currently taught and expressed within their faculties?

  • What classroom practices are teacher candidates learning?

  • What research is taking place? What gaps and opportunities exist for moving forward on ESD?

The committee members are in the process of developing the recommendations which will be completed by the fall of 2011. Manitoba Education is also working with Faculties of Education to incorporate ESD in teacher education and training by providing preservice ESD teacher workshops. By working together in a collaborative way, this builds upon existing ESD momentum and action within the Faculties of Education.

As chair of the CMEC ESDWG, Manitoba Education is leading a study to develop a better understanding of how Canadian Faculties of Education are incorporating ESD into their pre-service programs, research, and other activities. This is being undertaken in partnership with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and Learning for a Sustainable Future.

Facilities and Operations

Since the development of the provincial Education for Sustainability Action Plan (2004–2008) that directed the first steps in fostering teaching and learning for sustainability in elementary and secondary classrooms, Manitoba schools and school divisions have made considerable progress toward the implementation of ESD in facilities and operations.

Manitoba has approached ESD in K-12 education as a whole school approach, meaning that it is not only about incorporating teaching and learning for sustainable development in the curriculum, but also through sustainable school operations such as integrated governance, stakeholder and community involvement, long-term planning, and sustainability monitoring and evaluation. A large proportion of Manitoba schools have taken significant steps (and continue to do so) to incorporate sustainable development principles into their operations (e.g., energy efficiency, waste management, sustainable transportation, green construction, and water conservation) and programs (e.g., curriculum development and implementation, teacher professional development, and student project initiatives). A few specific examples include:

  • School divisions switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products.

  • School divisions revising procurement policies to favor “green” and energy-efficient products.

  • Winnipeg School Division recycling and bio-diesel fuel programs.

  • Pembina Trails Division sustainable energy and waste management initiatives.

  • St. James-Assiniboia School Division development of sustainable development education resource materials.

  • Forte La Bosse School Division land and water management environment program.

  • “Going Green” business and finance initiatives in Forte La Bosse and Southwest Horizon School Divisions (Manitoba Association of School Business Officials [MASBO], 2009).

The Manitoba Association of School Business Officials (MASBO), which is an association made up of representatives from school divisions focusing on finance, maintenance, transportation, human resources, and technology, created in 2009 a draft position paper on Education for Sustainable Development. The position paper states,

MASBO members must embrace the development and implementation of ESD based programs initiated by teachers as well as those initiated by students. The MASBO membership must be committed to employ practices and environmental measures for the operation of Manitoba School Divisions that will serve to model the sustainable development practices taught in classrooms. Someone has commented that failing that resolve, our greatest critiques will come from our students if and when they see a discrepancy between what is being taught in class and what is being modeled by the leaders of the school divisions. (MASBO, 2009, p. 2)

In April 2007, Manitoba’s Green Building Policy dictated that all new provincially funded buildings, including schools with an area greater than 600 sq. m. (6,458 sq. ft.), need to meet a minimum leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) Silver certification. Four Schools are currently being built as LEED Silver schools in compliance with the province’s Green Building Policy; some newer schools are being built to LEED Gold standards. For existing schools, the greening of facilities tends to vary greatly from basic recycling programs to comprehensive system-wide green operational initiatives. Other provincial government departments are also supporting school greening of facilities and operations. In 2008, Manitoba introduced a one-time grant ranging from C$2,000 to C$70,000 for schools called the “Green Schools Initiative” to support the establishment of new projects that focus on reducing water use, creating learning opportunities around minimizing waste, and supporting school-ground greening and sustainable transportation. In 2010, Manitoba Education partnered with Active and Safe Routes to School to encourage schools to implement sustainable school travel plans. In 2011, the government announced funding to support the greening of outdoor school spaces for new schools being built so that they are both environmentally friendly and can be used as outdoor learning spaces.

Measuring ESD in Manitoba

In order to determine if the ESD efforts are making a difference in Manitoba, Manitoba Education partnered with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on a pilot study in Manitoba to acquire a measure of people’s understanding, attitudes, and behaviors concerning sustainable development and ESD. The basic premise is to not only measure the knowledge obtained, but also the attitudes and behaviors of students being surveyed. It also assumed that young people’s behaviors are influenced by their knowledge and attitudes. The 2007/08 survey sample for both adults and students demonstrated that this connection exists but that attitudes have greater influence than knowledge. The 2009/10 survey instrument was refined to focus on surveying a statistically relevant sample of Grade 10 students from across the province. Over 1,500 students responded to the survey.

The study suggested that Grade 10 students in Manitoba in 2010 demonstrated the following scores (on a scale of 1–5, with 1 being the highest):

  • On knowledge of central sustainable development themes and concepts: 2.12

  • On attitudes favorable to sustainable development: 2.14

  • On behaviors supportive of sustainable development: 2.83 (Michalos, Creech, & Swayze, 2010, p. 21)

Although the study did identify a number of caveats including the difficulty of identifying those specific behavioral changes required by individuals (especially 15-year-olds) in the interest of sustainable development, the baseline for what Manitoba students know, believe, and do about sustainability (the “head,” the “heart,” and the “hands”) will nevertheless be useful as a starting point against which to assess progress in the coming years. IISD will repeat the survey toward the end of the UN Decade to determine whether ESD activities across the province have led to significant changes in the basic understanding and choices of Manitoba youth. This study will also contribute to our understanding of the overall impact of activities in the UN Decade for ESD.

Remainder of the UNDESD Decade and Conclusion

In summary, important themes which have supported the development of ESD in Manitoba include the following:

  • Manitoba’s Sustainable Development Act and ensuing policies have created the political space and direction needed to justify the allocation of resources and to move forward with province-wide educational reform.

  • ESD is identified as a priority for the province.

  • Strong leadership was provided through the Ministry of Education.

  • Dedicated staff members were assigned to focus on ESD in the province and resources were provided.

  • Partnerships were sought and established to move ESD forward as they permit the sharing of expertise and resources, and help to raise the profile of ongoing initiatives.

  • Capacity building became essential. Preservice and in-service teacher training for educators was provided so that they can act as effective facilitators in the ESD process; and the SEdA seminars provided senior level administrators with the knowledge and tools to integrate ESD into their school divisions.

  • The Eco-Globe Schools recognition program showcases what is being done within schools and school divisions. Such recognition provides moral support as well as compelling evidence that something can and is being done.

  • Funding to support ESD teaching and learning and greening school operations were provided.

  • ESD is developed in each jurisdiction according to its unique population/community of schools and individual needs.

Manitoba Education recognizes that ESD is a long-term endeavor, which will continue far beyond the end of the UN Decade. For the remainder of the Decade and beyond, our focus is on sustaining the culture of ESD that has built up over the first half of the Decade, and on creating a flourishing Manitoba where people have developed the knowledge, skills, and values to live more sustainable lives. We will focus over the next few years on continuing to work with our partners to:

  • Create further synergy with other government departments to embed ESD across the departments.

  • Enhance the capacity of Manitoba educators to effectively integrate ESD into their teaching and school operations.

  • Develop and provide needed ESD resources for educators to use in teaching and learning.

  • Further engage higher educational institutions toward infusing ESD.

  • Celebrate successes through Eco-Globe.

  • Develop new schools and improve existing schools based on sustainable design principles.

  • Support action-oriented teaching and learning by providing meaningful learning experiences for students so they may bring about informed, positive, sustainable changes.

  • Support the greening of school yards and the creation of outdoor classroom spaces.

  • Chair the CMEC–ESDWG, the MESDWG and, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Education for Sustainable Development Committee.

  • Increase the profile of ESD regionally, nationally, and internationally.

  • Host an event at the end of the Decade to celebrate the achievements in Canada on education for sustainable development and to consider how best to continue this good work beyond the decade.

  • Measure our progress in ESD.

Manitoba has made significant progress in education for sustainable development since the establishment of the UNDESD. By working together in partnership with our stakeholders to increase our graduation success rate and prepare students to live sustainably, we are helping students set the foundation for higher education, successful entry into the labor force, and brighter more sustainable futures.