ACEE has initiated two processes that brought together stakeholders to discuss how environmental education can be advanced in Alberta:
- 2007 Framework - this process resulted in a Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee approving the 'Framework to Advance Environmental Education in Alberta', a 21 page document that uses a logic model structure to lay out an outcome-based plan.
- 2011 Framework - in May 2010, ACEE partnered with the Alberta Teacher's Association to convene a one-day symposium to breathe fresh life into the framework created in 2007. This project is still in progress.
Starting in 2005, ACEE convened three consultation workshops, three regional Summits, and two provincial Summits on environmental education. Through this process we successfully engaged more than 440 individuals, representing 180 environmental education stakeholder organizations in co-creating and helping deliver on the Framework to Advance Environmental Education in Alberta.
Participants were asked about barriers to their work and for suggestions/ideas that might help build ‘bridges’ over these barriers. The resulting document – ‘A Framework to Advance Environmental Education in Alberta‘ – was launched in May 2007 at the 2007 Summit on Environmental Education, which marked a community-wide collaborative effort to begin to deliver on the Frameworks outcomes.
Part one of the document was written to present a compelling case for environmental education. We have used this to create a booklet entitled “Environmental Education: Creating a Sustainable Future for Albertans.” This booklet can be used by any environmental education stakeholder to emphasize the importance and potential of environmental education.
ACEE was founded to help deliver on key components of this Framework, and also serves as the Secretariat for this initiative.
2006: 290 individuals participated in day-long Regional and Provincial Summits on Environmental Education. Summit participants suggested initiatives that would help advance environmental education in Alberta; to capture these ideas, the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee drafted a “Framework to Advance Environmental Education in Alberta,” a detailed plan specifying activities and outputs for each of several dozen outcomes that would help advance environmental education in Alberta.
March 2007: Face-to-face consultation with more than 100 environmental education stakeholders across Alberta on draft of Framework. April 2007: Release of final draft of Framework, based on input.
May 24, 2007: “Alberta Summit on Environmental Education – A Call to Action” (Delta Lodge at Kananaskis). More than eighty stakeholders gave valuable input into how to implement the Framework – and 46 made an individual commitment towards implementation. Find out more about the Alberta Summit on Environmental Education – A Call to Action.
August 2007: Framework Implementation/Action Plan released.
2007, 2008 and Onward! Environmental education stakeholders work together to simultaneously deliver on the mission of their organizations – and help implement the Framework. ACEE will facilitate this collaborative work, and may help deliver on some elements of the Framework.
In May 2010 ACEE partnered with the Alberta Teachers Association to convene a one-day symposium for more than 250 teachers and agency employees. This work breathes fresh life into the ‘living document’ that is our Framework. What we heard summarizes the insights shared by the delegates at the symposium.
Thanks to all the facilitators who helped out for the day!
The process started with the 250 delegates hearing from inspiring active students in Alberta. Their presentations electrified and galvanized the audience – all these students received standing ovations. Students were asked to comment on what had influenced them – and what should be in place to create and support more students like them! They gave deep insights into the role of teachers, school, community resources and parents in their journey to becoming engaged citizens. These words energized the attendees as they headed into small groups to suggest strategies and actions that would help optimize the K-12 education in Alberta. These sessions resulted in ideas that would help advance environmental education and global citizenship - PLUS 73 commitments from participants and stakeholders to help deliver on these actions!
Thanks to ACEE board members Jeff Reading and Pat Worthington for acting as theme weavers for the event.