1. Education for Sustainable Development: The Oregon Context Rosalyn McKeown, Ph.D. Graduated School of Education

2. Oregon the Sustainable State What does it mean to educate for a more sustainable future?

3. Oregon the Sustainable State What does it mean to educate for a more sustainable future? Many organizations around the world are grappling with this question.

4. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2005–2014 as the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

5.  UNESCO Guidelines & Recommendations for Teacher Education to Address Sustainability  National Education for Sustainability K – 12 Student Learning Standards  Washington State Environmental and Sustainability Education Standards

6. UNDESD defines education for sustainable development (ESD) as:  Improving access and retention in quality basic education.  Reorienting existing education to address sustainability.  Improving public understanding and awareness of sustainability.  Providing training related to sustainability to all sectors of the economy (government, business, industry, etc.)

7. 1 st Goal of ESD  Improving access to and retention in quality education In 2006 the USA graduation rate was 69%. (Can the USA be economically competitive if only two-thirds of our workforce has a high school diploma?) According to Silent Epidemic the majority of dropouts found classes “uninteresting.” ESD addresses relevancy of K – 12 curriculum.

8. 2 nd Goal of ESD  Reorient existing education to address sustainability Question: How is education for sustainable development (ESD) different than the education we are currently providing our students? Answer: An appropriately reoriented education includes more principles, skills, perspectives, and values related to sustainability than are currently included in our educational system.

9. Three Levels of Action for Implementing ESD  Disciplinary  Whole school  Educational system

10. Level 1 – Disciplinary: Strengths Model ESD is such a large task that efforts from many people and disciplines are needed to make progress. Elements of the Strengths Model  Every discipline can contribute to ESD.  Every teacher can contribute to ESD.  No one discipline should claim ownership of ESD.

11. Level 1 – Disciplinary: Strengths Model Examples  Mathematics helps students understand extremely small numbers (e.g., parts per hundred, thousand, or million), which allows them to interpret pollution data.  Social Studies helps students understand ethnocentrism, racism, and gender inequity as well as to recognize how these are expressed in the surrounding community and in nations worldwide.  Language Arts, especially media literacy, creates knowledgeable consumers who can separate fact and opinion and analyze the messages of advertisers and see beyond "green wash.”

12. Level 2 - Whole School  Whole-school approaches  It takes more than information about sustainability to make the enormous behavioral shift needed for a more sustainable future.  Schools model environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the daily operations of a school.  Sustainability is practiced to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom.  Walk the walk and talk the walk.

13. Level 3 - Educational System UNESCO identified 5 key aspects of quality education at the systems level.  creates a legislative framework,  implements good policies,  builds administrative support and leadership,  provides sufficient resources, and  measures learning outcomes

14. The Oregon Opportunity ESD helps us attain the Oregon High School Diploma Essential Skills, especially 5 – 8.

15. Essential Skills 5.Think critically and analytically. 6.Use technology to learn, live and work. 7.Demonstrate civic and community engagement. 8.Demonstrate global literacy.

16. Education is our great hope for a sustainable future. By taking on the important task of implementing ESD we bring the possibility of a more sustainable future to our communities and state.

17. References Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit http://www.esdtoolkit.org National Education for Sustainability K-12 Student Learning Standards http://www.uspartnership.org/resources/0000/0062/USPEfSStan dards_V2.09.08.pdf

18. References cont. State of Washington, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Environmental and Sustainability Education Standards http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/EnvironmentSustain ability/default.aspx http://www.k12.wa.us/curriculumInstruct/EnvironmentSustain ability/default.aspx UNESCO Guidelines & Recommendations for Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability http://unesdoc.unesco.org/imaes/0014/00143370E.pdf http://unesdoc.unesco.org/imaes/0014/00143370E.pdf Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/.

19. Presenter Contact Information Dr. Rosalyn McKeown, Associate Professor Portland State University Graduate School of Education/ELP P.O. Box 751 Portland Oregon 97207 Telephone +1 503 725 8934 Fax +1 503 725 3200 Email mckeownr@pdx.edu