The Tuscan System for Environmental Education: a model of integration and participation

The Region of Tuscany is working to consolidate a quality “system” of Environmental Education whose primary objective is continuous improvement to value the system’s complexity and plurality and to ensure cultural biodiversity and educational wealth

In Tuscany the sustainability of development has for many years been the transversal criterion that guides the elaboration of all regional policies and strategies. Governance, integration, participation and collaboration represent a firm decision of the regional policies and strategies

Environmental Education in Tuscany is… permanent education for an aware general public for sustainable development The integrated system for the right to lifelong learing is the reference scenario for environmental education: enviornmental education for everyone, for an entire lifetime as a strategic lever for realising government stategies and policies for environmental sustainability

The Directorate-General for training policies, cultural heritage and activities has drawn up the framework of the Integrated Regional System for the right to lifelong learning, in which environmental education is inserted as a specialist segment – the process began with the approval of the Strategy Plan for the right to schooling and permanent education for the years 2001/2002 and the Integrated General Strategy Plan for education, instruction, guidance counselling, professional training and employment.

In April 2004 the Regional Council approved the PRAA – Regional Environmental Action Plan an innovative governmental instrument to promote, on behalf of the Directorate General for local policies, the principle of valuing local resources and reducing critical environmental problems, in an eco- efficient mindset. The plan, which deals with information, education and communication, constitutes one of the instruments for the implementation of the strategic program plan for the interventions in the environmental field, with the goal of forming new comunities that are increasingly able to participate with responsability, awareness and critical vision in the ecological management of their territory.

The System Design The Tuscan scenario of EE is characterized by the presence of a plurality of institutional and non-institutional protagonsists, in continuous contact with one another The actors Regions, Local Authorities, ARPAT, Local Health Authorities (ASL), other Public Agencies and Authorities, Private Associations and Foundations, Businesses and their Consortiums, Autonomous Educational Institutions, Universities, Libraries, Museums, Environmental Education Centres and Laboratories, Parks and Protected Areas… Target audience school-age children adult population particular categories of the general public, such as businessmen/women, consumers, social decision-makers…

Institutional Coordination The Directorate-Generals for Territorial and Environmental Policies (PTA) and Training Policies, Cultural Heritage and Activities, with the technical support of ARPAT constitute the regional structural reference points for the Tuscan System of Enviornmental Education, and formulate the System’s policies and proposals, using the established governance instruments and organisms Pledge to support the integration of Environmental Education within their offices and in the various regional policies. * On a Regional level the Resolution of the Regional Government 394/2004 indentifies the Committee of Institutional Coordination for Environmental Education and the Regional Council for Enviornmental Education.

Regions and Provinces consolidate the relationship they have built over the years, in an organic and egalitarian manner, in continuous contact, with the goal of strengthening and valuing the “local level” and sharing a cultural, social and economic reference framework, closely tied to the local institutional level.

Regional institutional level DGR 394/04 local insitutional level as the come “director’s seat" Province (Ambiente-PI and other departments available) - ARPAT - CSA with institutional duties of planning – strategising – coordination – monitoring In close relationship to the local institutional level TERRITORY AND LOCAL COMMUNITY (Conference of Mayors) REFERENCE FRAMEWORK OPERATIVE LEVEL The local nodes That are accredited with functions 3-4 and carry out activities of coordination, support, listening/proposing, documentation, research closely tied to the local programs Simple subjects That can be accredited for one or more of the four functions

The Strategic Goals of the Tuscan System consolidate the system and create conditions that are stable, continuous and high-quality implement quality local planning programs and their equilibrated diffusion through a “Pact with the territory for the planning and implementation of Environmental Education initiatives”

 ACTIONS On a local level The Region of Tuscany has co-financed in 2003, 2004 and 2005 the realisation of territorial projects through competitions established and co-financed by the Provincial Administrations that have enabled the selection of educational projects according to quality criteria. These criteria have been defined on a Regional level through collaboration between the various parties involved and respond to the Tuscan environmental “needs” and follow the directions outlined by the Environmental Action Plan of the Region of Tuscany (PRAA)

 ACTIONS On a regional level the following priority actions have been identified and implemented: QUALITY: determining criteria and methods for monitoring the regional system according to “Quality” principles; RESEARCH: defining in detail Regional research programs that could enrich and contribute to optimising the Regional system of Environmental Education in its complexity; TRAINING: organising training courses for system officers and Environmental Education operators. Quality, research and training serve as educational experiences in continuous communication with one another.

 Marco Polo describes a bridge stone by stone. But which stone supports the bridge? -asks Kublai Kan. The bridge is not supported by one stone or another – Marco answers – But by the arched line that they form. Kublai Kan remains silent while he reflects. Then he adds: why are you telling me about stones? I only care about the arch. Polo answers: without stones you cannot have an arch. Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities