RCE Tongyeong - 2019

Explore Sejahtera Forest
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Explore Sejahtera Forest
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Tongyeong
Contributing organization(s) : 
Tongyeong city government
Education office of Tongyeong
Education office of Gyeongsangnam-do province
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Su Yeon Park
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE Tongyeong
E-mail: 
tyrce.sypark@gmail.com
Name: 
Unji Lee
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE Tongyeong
E-mail: 
tyrce.ujlee@gmail.com
Name: 
Yeojin Yoon
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE Tongyeong
E-mail: 
tyrce.yjyun@gmail.com
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
Korean and English
Date of submission:
Friday, March 22, 2019
Web link: 
rce.or.kr
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
MOU between RCE Tongyeong and Gyeongsangnamdo provincial office of Education.
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Subnational
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Korea, South
Location(s): 
Tongyeong city
Address of focal point institution for project: 
RCE Tongyeong 116 YongnamHaeanro, Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, Korea
Ecosystem(s):
Coastal
Target Audience:
Community, Primary
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Tongyeong is a small coastal city with a population of 140,000. Surrounded by more than 570 islands, the slogan is a beautiful tourist recreation city. It also has the name of the hometown of art, where famous artists from various fields such as music, literature, and art were born. In 2016, it was also designated as a music city designated by UNESCO. Most of the population is engaged in fishery or tourism, and the elderly population is increasing.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Since the late 1990s, shipbuilding has developed vigorously, but now it is declining due to the structural changes in the industry, and it has problems with aging and creating sustainable jobs as well as with the decrease of young people. Since the creation of the Sejahtera forest, interest in ESD has increased for adolescents and parents, but access to ordinary citizens is still limited.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
April, 2015
Rationale: 
When RCE Tongyeong was designated as an RCE in 2005, they didn't have their own educational space. So, they focused on strengthening network for teachers and civil activist and problem based learning for youth like BTW. Since RCE Tongyeong Sejahtera Forest open, It has been a top priority to develop experiential ESD activities for the general public. As it consists of wetland, forest, ocean beach, and 3 stories eco-friendly building, they developed six kinds of educational programs using natural environment and their facilities. These six activities have SD themes such as alternative energy, land and marine ecosystem, end poverty, climate change, responsible consumption and production. In 2016, by MOU with Gyeongsangnam-do provincial office of education, RCE Tongyeong Sejahtera forest is designated as an eco study trip institutions for the third grade of elementary schoolers in Gyeongsangnam-do province. Last year, it was certified as a good environment education program by the Ministry of Environment.
Objectives: 
The most important goal for these programs is that students are able to start to consider how much themselves impact on the society's sustainability despite of participating the short-time activity. Through these activities, students will learn what the problems are on this society, why these problems are generated and how to be a good actor for sustainable future.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Eco Study Trip consists of programs that connect with the SDG and allow anyone who is not familiar with ESD to learn by playing. The marine program is a program learns about the sea filled with plastic, picks up and observes trash and vows to practice for sustainable sea. The forest program walks through forest, with endangered animals and plants that purify water and ends by experiencing natural dye hand towels. My cup program is to make ceramic cups instead of disposable cups. The Climate change Program seeks to find out what polar bears like and dislike, indirectly experiences declining glaciers through games. Sunlight programs is to learn renewable energy; experience the eco-friendly facilities inside the center. Afterwards, they use solar cookers to make popcorn. Finally, the water program is to learn about the inequality of resources and the water; to explore the situation by venturing water from water-starved areas.
Size of academic audience: 
About 12,000 people(2015~2018)
Results: 
Since 2015, officially 12,919 leaners has participated in this project. Every year, about 4,000 students visit Sejahtera Forest to learn the philosophy; learning to live and work sustainably. In 2016, by MOU with Gyeongsangnam provincial office of education, RCE Tongyeong Sejahtera forest is designated as an eco-study trip institutions for the third grade of elementary school students in Gyeongsangnam province. Last year, it was certified as a good environment education programme by the Ministry of Environment. The students and teachers adopt the philosophy of Sejahtera Forest in their own school class. They keep practicing sustainable lifestyle they learned at Sejahtera Forest. It transforms the class and hope to spread the SD beyond the classroom to the community.
Lessons learned: 
Through this eco study trip in Sejahtera Forest which is designed to allow human, nature and all animals to coexist, students have recognized that the earth has currently developed unsustainably. They are able to learn that the nature is home to not only human being but also all creatures and the reason why all natures such as the forest and the ocean are so important for people and life on the earth. Students are defining forests, investigating their role in unsustainable society, exploring their products that they use and life style, and learning sustainable life style to keep the earth by sustainable way.
Key messages: 
This project is designed to recognize the importance of collective responsibility to address global challenges. Learners can easily learn ‘learning how to live and work sustainably’ through fun activities like playing polar bear game, finding marine litter, walking along wet land in Sejahtera Forest.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
About 3 RCEs visit the Sejahtera Forest every year. As an Asia-Pacific RCE hub center, In particular, RCE Penang, Malaysia and RCE Kitakyushu in Japan have continued their exchange activities with Tongyeong RCE every year. If they visit the Study field trip, RCE Tongyeong can organize 1 Day and 2 Day programs to experience this program and guide them to adopt this project their own region. In 2017, RCE Tongyeong hold international youth camp which is 15 RCE cities youth participated in they experienced ESD programs in Sejahtera Center. This year, RCE Hangzhou, China will visit us in terms of study field trip with 10 teenager and 10 staff also in July, RCE Penang will visit with University student in USM also.
Funding: 
The schools and institutions pay for the program participation. The expenses are depending on the each program.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon polar bear.jpg (286.08 KB) Save the polar bear
Image icon Thanks Marine.jpg (356.92 KB) Thanks marine
Image icon forest.jpg (204.85 KB) forest
References and reference materials: 
PDF icon study material.pdf
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Indirect
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Direct
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Indirect
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Ecotourism 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Direct
Waste 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No