RCE Greater Western Sydney-2014

rce_proj_title_2013
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1. Project Title: 
RCE Seed Funding Pilot
2. Thematic area/s addressed by the project
3. Project partner contact information : 
Organization: 
Sydney Olympic Park Authority
Role: 
Education Manager - Project Manager EAT Toolkit (Engagement with Agriculture)
Main Contact: 
Mr Mike Bartlett
5. Project description
Provide a short description of the project including strategies, regional challenges, aims and specific project activities.: 

The RCE-GWS seed funding program is a pilot initiative of the UWS Office of Sustainability that will allow RCE-GWS working groups to access seed funding for collaborative RCE projects. The grant is for a maximum of $3,000 and can be for resources and/or materials. Only RCE-GWS working groups are eligible to apply and proposals must include more than one RCE-GWS partner. Please see below the 3 successful projects for 2014.


7. Provide references and reference materials : 
6. Project status
On Going
Description: 
i. Click Connect Collaborate – (Public schools NSW)
The Click, Connect, Collaborate (CCC) project will build the knowledge capacity of teachers and students from a network of schools in the Hawkesbury to enable them to engage with schools and students from around the world on issues of sustainability. Participants will develop skills and experience in using current technologies to share projects and learn collaboratively from the classroom. CCC will utilise the UN RCE global network to link and leverage participation and partnership in this project. Through this process a network of schools will develop the knowledge, experience and resources to embed real learning opportunities into classroom programs. Furthermore, they will build their capacity to operate effectively and collegially as a group of schools, supporting the objectives of the RCE in generating action through education.


ii. Cultural Sustainability and Adaptive Environmental Learning - SEVA Australian Bhutanese Association
The Bhutanese community is of particular interest to those interested in fostering change for sustainability as it has undergone two adaptive periods: first after leaving homelands for refugee camps in Nepal, and later, resettling in Australia. This project builds on UWS’s prior connections and research with the Bhutanese community of Western Sydney in order to document the environmental values and sustainable practices that are part of the ‘bottom up holistic approach to sustainable community development’ of interest to the Partner organisation.
As well as adding an environmental dimension to a cultural approach, the project aims to add a cultural dimension to the RCE’s predominantly environment-centred approach. A propos of the RCE’s objective to model “how the linked challenges of social, economic and environmental sustainability can be addressed through an integrated process of collaboration” it will explore the relevance of cultural factors (and social and cultural research) to sustainability and pro-environmental practices, and build capacity of the Cultural Sustainability group to recognise and take into account these factors.

iii. Engagement with Agriculture Toolkit (EAT) – Sydney Olympic Park Authority
The Engagement with Agriculture Toolkit (EAT) series will build the knowledge capacity and professional network of school teachers around the cross-curriculum priority area of Sustainability, particularly where it intersects with Agriculture, Science and Technology and Hospitality. The pilot event will bring primary and secondary school teachers together with agricultural industry representatives, UWS (PISCE), Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and Sustainability educators from Sydney Olympic Park Authority for a pilot professional development workshop and networking event. The project is directly designed to foster collaboration between education providers organisations and businesses in the Region around tackling issues of ‘agricultural sustainability and food security’. The event is linked to Youth Eco Summit and will focus on the 2014 action theme: Family, Food and Farming.
8. Tagging