RCE Tasmania
Overview
RCE Tasmania is located in the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Tasmania has a rich cultural and natural heritage with up to 45% of Tasmania’s environment protected. But Tasmania faces sustainability challenges associated with its remoteness. Tasmania has the most regional and dispersed population in the country; a weaker economy, historically relying on extraction activities (e.g. whaling, old growth forest logging, hydro-electric dams and mining); and high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage.
In this context, RCE Tasmania aims to bring together the strengths of organisations and people currently working towards addressing the challenges linked to environmental, economic and sociocultural sustainability. There is excellent work taking place in pockets around Tasmania which RCE Tasmania aims to identify, link and leverage, using education as a central tool.
Our network of organisations and individuals is working towards social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability, using education as a central tool, through the following aims:
1. To facilitate collaboration on Education for Sustainability initiatives.
2. To build capacity of organisations to sustain a process of change to support and improve Education for Sustainability initiatives.
3. To promote and endorse Tasmanian Education for Sustainability projects and Tasmania’s contribution in global learning for Education for Sustainability.
4. To advocate for education as a tool to help more people develop the skills and capacity needed to protect the planet and ensure social and cultural prosperity for all.
University of Tasmania
Name of organisation: University of Tasmania
Role: Host organisation
Contact name: Carmen Primo Perez
Contact email: carmen.primo@utas.edu.au
Name of organisation: Sustainable Living Tasmania
Role: Key Advisor
Contact name: Kim Barker
Contact email: kim.barker@catholic.tas.edu.au
Name of organisation: TasTAFE
Role: Key Advisor
Contact name: Rachele Carnevale
Contact email: rachele.carnevale@tastafe.tas.edu.au
Name of organisation: Department of Education, Tasmanian Government
Role: Key Advisor
Contact name: Jenny Dudgeon
Contact email: Jenny.Dudgeon@education.tas.gov.au
Activities
- EfS Tasmania has delivered an engaging online webinar series for its members in 2021. Presentations have ranged from the development of recycling walls for hard-to-recycle streams, to the design and implementation of sustainability skills cafes across local communities. The series have facilitated the sharing of innovative ideas will significant local impact on sustainability efforts, both for people and the environment.
- EfS Tasmania has also hosted a series of networking events for members throughout 2021. Locations have been selected based on membership density, and have presented opportunities for professional development and learning. For example, a networking event in Hobart followed a professional development day hosted by the Australian Association for Environmental Education, and a networking event in Launceston was co-hosted with a Global Climate Change Week event exploring local implications of the IPCC AR6 report.
- In 2022, we will continue to leverage our reach and impact by expanding both the online webinar series and the networking events. Strategic planning of topics and events to engage our members will be undertaken in coming months.
- Endorsed 22 regional initiatives www.efs.tas.edu.au/category/all_endorsed_initiatives
- Climate Leaders Conferences 2018 and 2019 – Youth leadership event across Tasmania. This year, over 400 students participated from 30 different schools State-wide, working alongside more than 40 community mentors and 30 teachers on practical projects to support sustainability and help reduce the impacts of climate change.
- Green Gown Award for UTAS – Our key partner, UTAS, has received the Community Award in recognition of their involvement and support of Education for Sustainability Tasmania
- International Internship 2019 – We hosted an intern for 5 weeks across our membership organisations through the School for International Training - Sustainability and Environmental Action Program
- International Internship 2018 – We hosted an intern from RCE Okayama for 5 weeks across our membership organisations
- Don’t Mess with Burnie 2017 – School action-based learning event
- Weaving Community Wellbeing 2017 – connecting community and schools through art
- Community Conversation on Sustainable Tourism 2017 www.efs.tas.edu.au/sustainabletourism
- Local Steps Towards Global Goals state-wide workshops 2017 www.efs.tas.edu.au/localsteps
- hosting three webinars as part of a webinar series on topics relating to education for sustainability.
- hosting three networking events in various locations around Tasmania to enable our members to come together to explore collaborative opportunities.
- facilitated connections, shared events and opportunities through four newsletters to our members.
Projects
Communication Channels
Contact Details
ian.ayre@utas.edu.au
sustainability.utas@utas.edu.au
c/- Sustainability Learning Centre
50 Olinda Grove, Mount Nelson, Tasmania, Australia 7007
