Ontario

Education Alliance for a Sustainable Ontario (EASO)

www.sustainable-ontario.org

Vision

All people and ecosystems in Ontario are thriving sustainably, supported by an educated and engaged society.

Mission

To provide a forum for collaboration and leadership to advance education for thriving, diverse communities and ecosystems.

Goals

• Create leadership and support for formal, non-formal and informal sustainability education in the across the province.
• Provide a mechanism for individuals and organizations working on sustainability education to share ideas and resources, collaborate and co-ordinate activities, and work together to advance ESD on a local, regional and province-wide scale.
• Recognize and address the complexity involved in a large-scale transformation to a truly sustainable education system through renewing and refocusing the energy of the ESD community to form new partnerships, develop shared understandings and vision, and take ownership of shared action and vocabulary, and strengthening the diversity of participation in ESD.

Organization Structure

EASO functions as a strategic network of stakeholders and government representatives who are all working towards education for sustainable development. EASO has approximately 25 core members who assemble regularly as a large group and sit on EASO subcommittees. Each core member is also responsible for outreach and networking within his or her organization and greater network. The wider membership consists of more than 70 organizations.

Subcommittees

• Formal Education: addresses policy by engaging in curriculum policy review processes and supporting enhancement of Ministry of Education documents by bringing an ESD perspective. It also works with all teacher affiliates to create professional development opportunities for teachers. 
• Informal/Non-formal Education: works toward education for sustainable development by identifying, supporting and facilitating education and networking opportunities outside of the formal education system. 
• Biodiversity and Awareness Network (BEAN): aims to encourage and strengthen education and awareness programs about the importance of biodiversity and the causes of biodiversity loss, as well as its protection and sustainable use. BEAN engages people from many different organizations representing formal education, NGOs, industry, government and Aboriginal peoples. It reports to both EASO and the Ontario Biodiversity Council.
• Communications: promotes EASO, ESD and the UN Decade of ESD throughout Ontario. The Communications subcommittee works to create proposals, grants, presentations, articles, brochures and Op-Eds to communicate the importance of ESD and ESD initiatives.
• Fundraising: raises funds to maintain and enhance EASO’s operations and programming.

Initiatives

ESD Networking Forum

Over 180 individuals attended this event help in September 2006. Sponsored by the Ontario Education for Sustainable Development Working Group (OESDWG) and Toronto Regional Centre for Expertise on ESD (Toronto-RCE), this Forum was an opportunity to begin to explore opportunities for working together to enhance education for sustainability. A number of different groups presented and displayed information surrounding their organizations’ and ESD initiatives.

Ontario Science Curriculum Development

EASO reviewed and provided input into the science curriculum review for K-8 and grades 9 and 10, bringing forward comments relating to sustainability education and reflecting insights from LSF’s curriculum review process and the input of 14 different EASO members who work closely on ESD issues.

The Environment Program Input

EASO provided input into the Ministry of Education’s proposed high school “Specialist Skills” Major (SHSM) in The Environment. EASO also recommended that sustainability be used as the framework for all SHSM diploma programs.

Environmental Education Review in Ontario: Shaping Our Schools, Shaping Our Future

Pamela Schwartzberg, a member of EASO was invited by the Ontario Minister of Education to sit on the Working Group on Environmental Education, chaired by Dr. Roberta Bondar.  The Working Group submitted a report to the Minister entitled Shaping our Schools, Shaping our Future with 32 recommendations on infusing environment and sustainability into Ontario schools. The Minister accepted all 32 recommendations and EASO is now providing input into the development of ESD Standards to support this work.

Ontario Health and Phys Ed Curriculum Input

EASO facilitated a deliberative dialogue with health and environment experts to provide input into the Health and Phys Ed curriculum. This work is building on Sustainability Curriculum research that has been supported by Environment Canada.

Ontario Biodiversity Strategy

The BEAN subcommittee of EASO produced an implementation plan for the Ontario Biodiversity Strategy, which will set the tone for biodiversity education and awareness for the next three years.  

Teacher Professional Development

EASO is collaborating with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Education and the Ontario Teacher’s Federation to provide three professional development courses for teachers focusing on biodiversity, climate change and green teaching.

EASO, in collaboration with LSF, has also been working to create several resource documents for teachers on integrating sustainability into their practices.

Climate Change Initiatives

EASO representatives met with the Ontario Climate Change Secretariat, and are developing a climate change task force to address climate change education in Ontario. EASO is also working to specifically support climate change education in the new science curriculum by developing resources and offering professional development opportunities and expertise to teachers.

 Work Plan 2009 Highlights:

• Shaping our Schools, Shaping our Future and Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow implementation support
• UNDESD communication across Ontario
• Informal/non-formal ESD facilitation
• Climate change education facilitation

EASO Newsletters

Past issue of our Newsletter are posted here to keep people informed as to our progress. If you wish to have these emailed directly to you please email us at esd_Ontario@lsf-lst.ca and we will add you to our list.

Past Newsletters