History of ESE in Teacher Ed in Canada
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This is a beginning history of ESE in Teacher Education in Canada; it is not exhaustive nor definitive, but is an attempt to pull together a list of influential events, documents, research and people who have contributed to advocacy and action in this area. Please email your suggestions for additions or changes to us
- 1977: Tbilisi Declaration; defines and establishes EE internationally in 65 countries
- 1988: National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established, including the formation of a Task Force on Education
- 1991: Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) established
- 1991: Halifax Declaration, which committed Canadian university leadership to addressing sustainable development in the university context
- 1992: Agenda 21 formed, a non-binding action plan of the UN in regard to sustainable development; Canadian Charles Hopkins plays a role in writing Section 36 on ESD
- 1992: National Round Table on the Environment and Economy discussed environmental advocacy roles for post-secondary educators, highlighting 8 key elements: Curriculum design and student projects; Consulting; Research; Public involvement; Co-management; Non-government organizations; Municipal government involvement; Media relations
- 1992: ECO-ED: World Congress for Education and Communication on Environment and Development held in Toronto
- 1993: ECO-ED leads to the establishment of the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication
- 1996: Canadian Journal of Environmental Education founded
- 1997: Planet’ERE de l’Éducation relative à l’environnement dans une perspective de développement durable took place in Montreal
- 1998 – present: Inclusion of specific ESE expectations in provincial curricula, often as part of science, social studies, or geography, along with the publication of resource guides to support ESE education across the curriculum
- 1999 - the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation each adopted a resolution pertaining to education for sustainability. Policies (3.9) specified that, where appropriate, education for sustainability should be incorporated into pre-service and in-service programs
- 2000: Educating for Sustainability: The Status of Sustainable Development Education in Canada published by the CMEC
- 2000: Publication of Ministry of Education Manitoba - Education for a sustainable future: A resource for curriculum developers, teachers, and administrators
- 2001: Pan Canadian Network of Faculties of Education Supporting Sustainability and Stewardship established, although the group has not met recently
- 2002: Lin’s study Trends of environmental education in Canadian pre-service teacher education programs from 1979 to 1996 published
- 2003: Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) on ESD begin to be established as part of the UN’s Education for Sustainable Development Project
- 2005: United Nations declares the start of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
- 2005: Hopkins & McKeown Guidelines and Recommendations for Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability published
- 2007: Publication of British Colombia Ministry of Education - Environmental learning and experience: An interdisciplinary guide and video clips for teachers.
- 2008: Education for Sustainable Development Working Group founded as a committee of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)
- 2009: Ontario Ministry of Education establishes the first policy framework for EE in Canada: Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow
- 2009: World Environmental Education Congress held in Montreal
- 2010: Publication of Background – Developing a Pan-Canadian ESD Framework for Action and Collaboration which aims to establish Canada as an international leader in education for sustainable development
- 2011: Publication of the Ministry of Education Manitoba - Education for sustainable development: Kindergarten to grade 12 correlation chart template and kindergarten tool kit.
- 2012: Publication of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), Education for sustainable development in Canadian faculties of education.
- 2012: Publication of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education - Advancing pre-service environmental education in Alberta: A discussion paper.
- 2013: Publication of the Quebec Ministry of Education, Plan d’action de développement durable 2013-2015
- 2013 – Provincial Roundtable in Ontario on EE in Preservice Teacher Education
- 2014: Publication of the Ministry of Education Manitoba - ESD in Manitoba curriculum.
- 2014: Publication of the DEEPER Guide, providing an overview of ESE in TE and best practices in Ontario
- 2014: Falkenberg & Babiuk’s study published The status of education for sustainability in initial teacher education programmes: A Canadian case study
- 2016 – National Roundtable in ESE in Preservice Teacher Education held at Trent University; the Otonabee Declaration signed unanimously by those in attendance calling for mandatory components in EE in all Preservice Teacher Education programs across Canada
