RCE North East-2012

Submitted by RCEcaspar.hewett on Thu, 2012-09-20 00:00
1. Leadership, Vision and Objectives
1. Vision of your RCE: 
Our vision for RCE North East is to: (a) engender a sustainable approach to social and economic development in the North East of England that takes full account of the impacts of these developments on the urban, rural and coastal environment; (b) provide local people with the knowledge and support needed to effect changes in their own lives by raising their awareness and understanding of sustainability and the need to protect the natural resource base. A particular focus will be to work with young people on issues of environmental justice, social responsibility and stewardship; (c) create the opportunity for every young person to experience a learning environment beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances; (d) contribute to regional development and economic regeneration; (e) ensure a sustained commitment to EfSD through a fl exible management structure combined with a robust system of governance.
We believe that the best way of delivering this vision is through a broad and inclusive partnership of regional stakeholders engaged in promoting the region’s future through new forms of education and research
2. Leadership structure
a. Administration: 
4
b. Transactional : 
3
c. Transformational : 
3
2. Social Network
3. Core partners: 
North East Centre for Transformative Education and Research (NECTER); Newcastle University; Northumbria University; Sunderland University; Durham University; Teesside University; North East Centre for Lifelong Learning; Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability; The Great Debate; The Great North Festival; Moorbank Botanical Gardens; The North East Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Schools; Sir Joseph Swan Institute for Energy Research; The International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies; Sustainable Communities and Environments North East; The Dove Marine Laboratory; Newcastle Enviro Schools; Northern Kites; Newcastle Engineering Design Centre; Royal Institute of British Architects; Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens; Redcar and Cleveland College; The Elsie Jeffery Memorial Bursary; TyneMetropolitan College; Stockton Riverside College; Bede Sixth Form College, Billingham; St Bede's School and Sixth Form College, Lanchester; Carbon Neutral Newcastle; St Cuthbert's High School, Newcastle; Newcastle College; Thomas Hepburn Community School; One World Network North East; The GREAT Institute; Make Poverty History North East; Climate Change Schools project; English Martyrs School & VI Form College; Students into Schools, Colleges, Community programme;
4. Cooperation and communication : 
Communication is managed through the website (http://www.rcenortheast.eu), via an e-mail list through which members can circulate information, requests etc. to other members and through the newly established NECTER/RCE North East newsletter. Quarerly general meetings are held to which all members are invited to attend, which is the main opportuity for face to face contact and to develop cooperative ventrues between partners
5. Facilitating development
Connections / Partnership with
UN institutions
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
UNUIAS
Other international organizations
yes/no: 
No
Other RCEs
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Strong links were created with a number of RCEs in the wake of the European RCE meeting held in Newcastle in 2011.
International experts
yes/no: 
No
Expert organizations at national, regional and global levels
yes/no: 
No
6. Social network
a. Information network (exchanging information, e.g. building up a database for SD projects): 
5
b. Knowledge network (creating knowledge by collaboration, e.g. finding synergies between partners by experience exchange): 
3
c. Innovation network (creating innovation by co-creation and shared vision,e.g. investigating new solutions for challenges by f: 
2
3. Participation
7. Participation of actors : 
Any partner can instigate and own a project recognised by NECTER/RCE North East - they simply have to submit an outline of the project for discussion at a general meeting at which all members have a vote - projects are recognised if a project gets three or more votes and a majority of those who voted. Votes can be counted in absentia if members so wish - they submit them to the committee before the general meeting at which the project is discussed. Coordination is currently done by the elected members of the NECTER committee - any member of a partner institution or project can stand to sit on that committee - votes are counted at a general meeting as above.
8. Participation opportunities
a.Informational participation (people get informed about decisions and actions): 
3
b.Consultation participation (people are asked about their needs and opinions): 
3
c.Decision influencing participation (people are involved in decision making processes): 
4
4. Education & Learning
9. Educational activities : 
Educational activities are the heart and soul of our vision - by championing educational opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds we connect with much broader range of stakeholders than any single educational institution could.
10. Competences and capabilities : 
Our focus on training opportunities for young people not in employment, education or training is unique in the region - on example project is great northern youh voices which develops competences in film-making and key skills in: communication (speaking, listening, discussing); ICT (finding, developing and presenting information); team work (supporting development of interpersonal skills through working cooperatively with others to achieve shared objectives); improving own learning, performance and self-management (through target-setting, planning, learning, communicating own needs, accepting constructive feedback); and specific technical skills (camera and audio, editing).
Connections / Partnership with
b. Training for different sectors of the society
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Our Food (http://ourfood.org.uk/); great northern youth voices (http://thegreatdebate.org.uk/YouthVoices.html)
c. Public awareness
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
The Great North Festival, the great northern debate
d. Reorientation of existing education
yes/no: 
No
If yes, give examples: 
although we did fail to get a major grant to reorient existing education around dialogue this year.
12. Educational activities
a. Theory (communicating of ESD principles, strategies, examples): 
2
b. Discussion (knowledge exchange and mutual learning on ESD): 
3
c. Interactive & Multidimensional (Action oriented learning, e.g. workshops, intergenerational, interdisciplinary,…) : 
5
5. Research Integration
13. Research & Development (R&D): 
At present we are struggling to do so in the absence of core funds or a host institution.
14. Research partners : 
Historically Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (multidisciplinary) was the key research partner and they remain a major player but recent discussions with Northumbria University's Schools of the Built and Natural Environment suggest that they may become the lead research partner for RCE North East.
15. Description of research
a. Disciplinary (focusing on one discipline of research, e.g. social aspects) : 
2
b. Interdisciplinary (taking interrelations between disciplines into account, e.g. economic effects on the environment and peopl: 
4
c. Transdisciplinary (involving affected people into your research activities, e.g. interviews with affected people): 
4
Tagging
Continent: 
Europe
Country: 
United Kingdom
Region: 
Europe
Type: 
Project Reports