Chapter Six

Programme Areas & Actions

Introduction

The programmes and actions put forward in this chapter are the centrepiece of the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development. They derive from the consensus-based Vision Framework, and the partnership-based analysis of priorities for action. In essence, they are a multi-stakeholder blueprint for action on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Jamaica. Collectively, the outcomes and actions recommended in each of five Programme Areas presented here, form a framework to which various agencies and organizations can attach their specific action commitments. The framework also provides a guide for identifying strategic priorities and developing implementation plans for the short and medium term. An update of the action framework every two years will keep it current and relevant.

The overall Plan is dated 1998 – 2010: a period of twelve years within which to entrench Environmental Education for Sustainable Development outcomes so firmly that they contribute to long term change towards the envisioned sustainable society.

Ultimately, implementation of the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development is expected to achieve:

"citizens - individually and in groups, in the public and private spheres – who are prepared to participate in sustainable living."

The actions outlined in the Programme Areas are designed to further the overall expected result, and fulfill the goals of the National Plan, set out in the Vision Framework.

This Chapter describes the expected outcomes and recommended actions for each of the five Programme Areas.

Programme Area 1:

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Preamble

Efficient and effective delivery of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development throughout the formal education system requires consistent attention to teacher professional development. Fundamental elements of a systemic approach include the development of enabling policies, capacity development amongst teacher educators, and the development of coordinated professional development activities.

Environmental Education for Sustainable Development holds teachers to the highest standards of professional development. Effective educators learn and impart knowledge, but also skills, values, and an action-orientation, using learner-centered teaching methodologies not currently widespread. Professional development fosters educators’ ability to reflect on social structures and relations, within institutions and the wider community, adopting research as part of their practice and promoting related action.

Programmes must enable on-going development of teachers’ understanding and ability in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, with continuous reinforcement and practice in a variety of situations. Programmes must be flexible, responding to the defined needs of teachers, and paying attention to the progression from initial through continuing professional development. Teachers at all levels of the system and every discipline; principals, supervisors and other senior personnel must be active participants in successful change.

Such an extensive adjustment requires the understanding and commitment of policy makers, planners and implementers, including administrators and teacher trainers. It extends to curriculum planners, both at the level of pre-service and in-service training, and within the school system itself. It encompasses the production of resource material to support teacher trainers and teachers themselves. It also requires that consideration be given to ways of encouraging teachers and other educators to become willing and committed participants in the process of change.

Emerging focus on a school-based approach, which involves students, teachers and administrative and support staff in learner-centered education, and which creates room for teachers to interpret curricula with local conditions in mind, offers an opportunity not to be missed. The approach also offers the chance to enhance links between schools, and the communities in which they are sited – through inter-relations with parents, community members and groups, and the working world.

Key Considerations

The following principles should underpin professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development:

	Holistic, Life-Long Learning – Teacher professional development should provide an adequate combination of subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, link theory and practice, develop skills for critical thinking, include emotional, attitudinal and value aspects, and be diversified enough to meet the academic, pedagogical, administrative, and affective needs of teachers.
	Active, Participatory Approaches – Participants should be involved in actively defining their learning needs, an approach which will prepare them to manage change and innovation, promote collegiality and collaboration, and recognize the potential contribution of teachers' research. Approaches to teacher professional development should also promote reflection on, and systematic planning of, practice, and provide opportunities for teacher educators and practicing teachers to work with student teachers in the classroom – thereby placing classroom practice within the larger context of school-wide practice, structure and culture.
	Integration – There must be harmony between teacher education curricula and school curricula.
	Support and Collaboration – Programmes of teacher professional development should acknowledge the need for political and infrastructural support, and the gains inherent in collaboration with other processes and agents of change in the educational system.

	Persuade and influence bodies working in the area of professional development to advocate for a policy on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, including professional development;
	Launch an awareness-building campaign among key decision-makers towards a policy on professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;
	Obtain public endorsement of the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development;
	Research Environmental Education for Sustainable Development policies in other jurisdictions;
	Establish on-going policy development mechanisms with processes for bottom-up input;
	Develop an accepted framework of concepts and teaching strategies for professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;
	Facilitate the development of institution/school policies on professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;

Develop a framework for instituting professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development at all levels of teacher professional development, within a defined period;

	Identify an existing body which can serve as a focal point and through which to plan the systematic delivery of EE for SD at all levels of the teaching system;
	Create a central research node through which to ensure EE for SD PD remains state of the art;
	Development standards and performance measurements on EE for SD PD.

	Lobby and build partnerships with organizations which can influence the inclusion of professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, within initial teacher training institutions;
	Develop a structured programme for pre-service educators, taking account of content, methodology and best practices. This should be developed in partnership with existing bodies, certified and required;
	Develop mechanisms to ensure Environmental Education for Sustainable Development becomes a core requirement in pre-service teacher training and in the training of trainers;
	Through leadership training programmes establish capacity and expertise in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in key agencies such as the JBTE, MOEC-PDU, JTA and JCTE;
	Develop and implement training materials and programmes targeting pre-service educators;
	Implement pilot training modules/curriculum in initial teacher education programmes;
	Pilot model programmes such as the twinning of a teachers' college with a secondary school in which trainee teachers can practice implementing Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;
	Undertake research and the publication of models of good practice, including community college programmes;
	Establish information networks for sharing expertise, and models of professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, with the wider Caribbean and Commonwealth.

	Awareness and constituency building in key institutions and professional associations governing or delivering continuing teacher education;
	Lobby for Environmental Education for Sustainable Development to become a mandatory core requirement in all continuing teacher education programmes, with credit given for relevant training;
	Over a defined timeframe, require that existing teachers undertake a mandatory Environmental Education for Sustainable Development programme which incorporates content, teaching methodology and best practices;
	Collaborate with MOEC to encourage appointment of an Environmental Education for Sustainable Development Officer within the Ministry's Professional Development Unit;
	Support efforts to establish an EE for SD post in each school;
	Implement EE for SD leadership development and training initiatives for MOEC Professional Development Unit, Curriculum Development officers, Supervision Officers in the regions and other relevant officials;
	Create school-based experts by training principals, senior teachers and resource teachers;
	Encourage continuing teacher education institutions to prioritize Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and implement relevant, interdisciplinary, professional development;
	Develop a skills bank of resource personnel for professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;
	Audit materials on professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and identify gaps;
	Develop and publish locally relevant Environmental Education for Sustainable Development materials for continuing teacher professional development.
	Re-package UNEP-UNESCO resource modules on professional development for environmental education;
	Pilot an annual Environmental Education for Sustainable Development Summer Institute through the MOEC Professional Development Unit;
	Carry out school-wide professional development in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, involving all levels of school personnel, and learners, in school based activities to develop relevant materials and resources;

School-based Approaches

ACTIONS

	Involve curriculum experts, professional development experts, principals, teachers, students and NGO/ CBO representatives in the design and piloting of a ‘sustainable schools’ programme. Build on ongoing initiatives such as the MOEC school incentive programme and continuing initiatives spear-headed by the NGO community;
	Promote the creation, by MOEC, of the post of Senior Teacher with responsibility for integrating Environmental Education for Sustainable Development within the schools;
	Facilitate the execution of school-based professional development programmes for staff, principals and teachers, and leadership programmes for students;
	Develop formal and informal incentives and rewards for best practices within all schools, focussing on teachers, students, principals and support staff. Consider competitions at the local, parish, regional and national levels.

Beyond the School Gate

ACTIONS

	Promote projects which concentrate on building community-based resources and services for professional development in EE for SD;
	Establish system-wide networking and constituency building in support of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, among community groups including PTAs, Media, Citizens' Associations, Religious institutions, School Boards and NGOs;
	Seek actions, particularly media, which raise the profile of teachers as change agents pivotal to developing citizens who are committed to nurturing, maintaining and sustaining the island, region and world;
	Promote projects which make explicit curricular and extra-curricular linkages between school and the world of work.

Programme Area 2:

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Preamble

In order to encourage and sustain the delivery of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development within schools throughout Jamaica, Environmental Education for Sustainable Development learning outcomes must be integrated into formal education curricula.

Current coverage in national curricula lacks both depth and breadth: depth in that it focuses to a limited extent on environmental protection and conservation but largely ignores the context of sustainable development; breadth in that it is limited to a few topics and subject areas, whereas it should be systematically integrated into all subject areas at all levels. Where curricula do contain Environmental Education for Sustainable Development learning outcomes, the emphasis is largely on knowledge-based outcomes. Outcomes highlighting skills, values, and action are extremely limited.

Curriculum developers must be encouraged to better understand Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and ways of effectively and systematically integrating it into revised curricula. The development of an integrative Environmental Education for Sustainable Development curriculum framework, indicating learning outcomes and teaching strategies from early childhood to post-secondary levels, is an important step towards broad-based understanding.

There are few tools to help classroom teachers implement curricula in ways appropriate to their specific situations. This gap highlights the need to develop and reproduce instructional resources which can help teachers implement Environmental Education for Sustainable Development teaching strategies and content. These resources would be appropriately delivered through professional development programmes.

Curricula must also be grounded in real life applications and fostered through school-based planning and community involvement, if sustainable development is to become a way of life for all Jamaican citizens. Principals and school boards, in developing school-based curricular materials, must be provided with insights and skills related to Environmental Education for Sustainable Development. Orientation would also be appropriately provided for the text book publishing industry.

Shifts in educational approaches to curricula must be accompanied by associated shifts in student assessment. Environmental Education for Sustainable Development strategies, processes and content must be integrated into CXC and other examination vehicles, as well as school-based assessment practices.

Key Considerations

The following principles should guide the incorporation of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development into curriculum development and implementation:

	Inter-Disciplinary Context – There must be movement from traditional disciplinary approaches, towards an inter-disciplinary approach to problems and issues.
	Relevance – National curricula must incorporate the underlying importance of sustainability as a key concept for all disciplines, the integration of diverse knowledge elements, and the integral relationship between formal learning and daily living. Curricula must be designed to accommodate local variations.
	Systemic Approach – Approaches must be systemic, integrating all levels of curricula and all levels of the organizational system. Every potential entry point for Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, within the educational system, must be explored. Mechanisms to implement Environmental Education for Sustainable Development policies within schools must be developed and put in place; and appropriate assessment and accountability frameworks must be in place.
	On-Going – There must be recognition that curricular revision is a continuous process and that proponents of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development must be always ready to seize opportunities for infusion;
	Collaborative – There must be consensus building among and collaboration between stakeholders, on the goals, principles and learning outcomes set out in the Vision Framework of this National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development.

Potential Partners

Potential partners for actions related to curriculum policy, development and implementation include the National Environmental Education Committee; MOEC personnel at all levels; teacher training and assessment agencies; the National Council on Education as it relates to School Boards; HEART/National Training Agency; NCTVET; educational institutions including the universities; teachers’ associations including the Jamaica Teachers’ Association; teachers; students; PTAs; textbook publishers and editors, NGOs and CBOs working in specific school communities and specialists in particular fields of knowledge.

Expected Result

The actions set out in the Curriculum Development programme will collectively achieve:

"Organizational and curricular policies and implementation mechanisms for formal education which support and enable learning appropriate to citizens in a sustainable future."

Programme Elements

Action is required in the following areas:

Policy

Macro level policies and decisions are required to support Environmental Education for Sustainable Development. These may include changes to the Education Act; awareness-raising among the Political and Technical Directorate within the MOEC and any other Ministry which impacts on curriculum policy; policy making at the school level, including the development of school-based curriculum frameworks.

Curriculum Development

Environmental Education for Sustainable development learning outcomes must be integrated in all curricular policy documents and instructional materials, with on-going research providing a basis for curriculum development, and periodic review.

Curriculum Implementation & Resources

Implementation resources, mechanisms and processes must be developed which enable teachers, schools and others to implement Environmental Education for Sustainable Development learning outcomes.

Policy

ACTIONS

Overall Policy:

	Urge immediate preparation of a written endorsement, from the political directorate, that Environmental Education for Sustainable Development be integrated into formal education curricula -Early Childhood through to Post-Secondary - and permeate all disciplines;
	Research and write a policy document on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in formal education, based on consideration of other relevant models;
	Build awareness among the political directorate, and promote the institution of a policy on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in formal education which would guide curriculum development and provide directions for implementing changes, including changes in professional development;
	Recommend immediate amendment to key MOEC documents –including the Mission and Vision Statements – which reflect the national curriculum

School-based Curriculum Policy & Planning:

	Build support for school-based curriculum planning and innovation;
	Build awareness among stakeholders involved in school-based planning, including non-government organizations, community based organizations, special interest groups and community members;
	Examine and draft guidelines to incorporate Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in school-based planning;
	Implement school-based Environmental Education for Sustainable Development policy and planning guidelines in selected schools, building on existing policy and programme initiatives.

ACTIONS

	Devise an integrative curriculum framework based on the Learning Outcomes set out in the Vision Framework, to illustrate scope and sequence from early childhood to post-secondary level;
	Involve key officers from MOEC’s four curriculum development units, university representatives, relevant interest groups and individual specialists in developing the curriculum framework;
	Review possible models, as part of a process of developing the curriculum framework;
	Promote integration of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in all curricula, with the aid of the integrative framework/curriculum guide;
	Based on on-going research, recommend specific points for infusion of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development learning outcomes into various curricula;

Act on opportunities to infuse Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, based on on-going curricular reviews;

Establish a forum within which interest groups can interact to promote integration of their varied contributions with Environmental Education for Sustainable Development, towards effective infusion in the various curricula;

	Collaborate with other curriculum stakeholders such as Health Education, Family Life Education, PALS and the Tourist Board, to infuse environmental elements and a sustainable development context into their programmes and instructional materials;
	Create mechanisms to facilitate school boards, parents and other community resource persons input into school based curriculum development.

	Support programmes to help teachers plan and implement locally relevant versions of national curricula, based on the integrative framework - with community involvement;
	Design and implement relevant training programmes for curriculum developers including personnel from the MOEC Units for all subject areas, staff of the Professional Development Unit, supervision Education Officers, principals, ROSE teacher trainers and teachers;
	Identify Environmental Education for Sustainable Development experts who can participate in MOEC curriculum development teams and other working groups;
	Consistently expose curriculum developers and Environmental Education for Sustainable Development partners, and encourage them to act on this training.

Curriculum Implementation & Resources

ACTIONS

The production of student-centered activity based modules focused on priority environmental issues and which emphasize school /community linkages.

The production of teacher curriculum modules and instructional materials which facilitate classroom implementation of EE for SD learning outcomes and fill gaps identified in research.

	Publish guidelines for resource development in EE for SD
	Carry out in-service training of teachers, principals and members of the schools extended family.
	Dialogue with publishers of textbooks to influence greater incorporation of environmental education for sustainable development in school texts and other materials;
	Capitalize on business opportunities to produce and market textbooks and other materials;
	Carry out in-service training of teachers and principals and members of the schools’ extended families;
	Produce resources that enable teachers and school administrators to plan and implement locally relevant versions of the national curricula;
	Support the development of instruments and procedures to assess the quality of materials/resources, teaching/learning strategies, and student achievement, and to correct identified problems.

 

Programme Area 3:

NATIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS

Preamble

Supportive, aware and active citizens, working towards a sustainable Jamaica, are the chief outcome expected from the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development. National awareness and attitudes strategies must reach both the ubiquitous general public, and its more defined, more manageable constituent groups - promoting understanding of environment and sustainable development issues; highlighting the effects of everyday actions by individuals and groups; and gaining a commitment to positive action.

To attract the attention of citizens, messages must be relevant to the target groups; benefits of action must be clear; and citizens must have access to the means to act in the ways suggested. Effective message delivery strategies, appeals to self interest, clear connections between environmental degradation and personal or community problems, and references to local culture, must be used. The importance of having necessary support systems in place, including a culture of governance which recognizes the public’s right to information, must be emphasized. Capacity development opportunities are another vital element of the mix, particularly in respect of training and resource material to reach specific groups.

There is also scope for filling existing gaps and taking advantage of opportunities. Groups not currently being served include a variety of influential Jamaicans – both the professionals who influence policy-making and programme development; and the marginalized who influence success or failure through their attention or inattention. Development of messages appropriate to the diverse target groups which make up the Jamaican population, requires research. Attention must be focussed on the political, economic and other decision-makers, the mass of marginalized Jamaican citizens, students, the workforce comprising professionals, skilled persons and unskilled labour, consumers, resource users and the media which is a channel for information and a target group at one and the same time.

Thematic gaps, relating to sustainable development, and to the links between socio-economic development and the natural environment, must be bridged.

In addition, there is scope for greater collaboration between organizations, leading to clear coordinated messages and approaches which present the public with a cohesive front on issues related to the environment and sustainable development.

Key Considerations

The following principles should guide the building of National Public Awareness:

	System-Orientation and Relevance – National public awareness messages, concepts and actions must systemic rather than just symptomatic, must be relevant to the needs and concerns of the target groups, and must be clearly communicated.
	Research Basis – Actions, messages, and target groups must be defined based on research, and the effect of strategies on target groups must be monitored to ensure on-going effectiveness. Programmes must utilize a variety of methods and media, and messages must be repeated and reinforced over a long period.
	Action Orientation – In developing campaigns, awareness must be linked to action. Positive benefits and alternatives to negative behaviour must be explained, and feasible, easily accessible solutions must be suggested.
	Participatory and Co-lateral Approaches – Messages must be developed through participatory approaches. Co-lateral opportunities, which create partnerships with existing programmes and build on appropriate habits, must be a vital focus;
	Local Orientation – Messages must take account of and utilize popular culture, and take advantage of existing opportunities – including media opportunities.
	Sustainability – The approach to developing campaigns and other programmes must be focused within an overall framework of sustainability, and should include examples of communities working towards sustainability. Relevant themes can be prioritized within this framework.
	Integration – Linkages must be established and maintained between strategies at the national and local levels, as well as other areas of the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development, to ensure integration and reinforcement of messages at all levels.

Potential Partners

Potential partners in strategies to improve national awareness and attitudes in respect of the environment and sustainable development include stakeholders within the NEEC; the NRCA; the Council on Sustainable Development; the NGO/CBO national umbrella organizations; the NGO/CBO community; and organizations relevant to specific priority subject areas. With reference to capacity development in particular, all government and private sector training institutes are potential partners. Relevant professional organizations, entertainers, information networks and the media are also important.

Expected Result

National awareness & attitudes strategies are expected to result in:

"Environmentally-aware citizens actively participating in sustainable development and with compatible attitudes, skills, behaviour and values."

Programme Elements

Action is required in the following areas:

Public Awareness Programmes

Campaigns and other strategies must enhance public awareness on the environment and sustainable development issues, on a sub-sector as well as a national basis.

Environmental Awareness Programmes for Influential Groups

Public awareness programmes must specifically seek to sensitize politicians, civil servants, Members of Parliament and other members of the political directorate and decision makers.

Capacity Development to Facilitate Delivery of Public Awareness Programmes

Capacity development programmes must ensure the capacity of agents to deliver effective programmes of public awareness.

Public Access to Environmental and Sustainable Development Information

Citizens must be able to access information relating to environmental and sustainable development issues.

Public Awareness Programmes

ACTIONS

Develop public awareness campaigns, which promote citizen environmental literacy and citizen participation in sustainable living. using a multi-disciplinary team with environmental/sustainable development, communications, marketing, CBO and behavioural science expertise;

Identify collaborative opportunities with organizations promoting relevant campaign issues and establish sustainable development as an overarching theme for public awareness campaigns focusing on the environment.

Prioritize environment and sustainable development themes based on urgency of problems, public interest and ease of access to remedial action. Potential sub-themes with immediate public impact include solid waste management, watershed management and coastal/marine management;

Prioritize target groups identified as youth, consumers, the masses, resource users, the workforce, business/industry, women, and vulnerable groups.

	Emphasize popular and traditional culture in message delivery; and radio as a critical medium;
	Create an awareness programme focusing on enforcement officers, and judiciary.

Develop a range of specific EE for SD programmes, which target environmental issues in a variety of workplaces.

ACTIONS

Develop strategies and implement actions to sensitize politicians and local and national decision makers, including Ministers of Government, Members of Parliament, officials of major political parties and local government

Develop appropriate material to support the sensitization of political decision makers

Implement study tours to education decision-makers and politicians on environment and sustainable development issues and solutions.

Develop appropriate material to support sensitization of political decision-makers;

Create awareness programmes focusing on other specific influential groups such business.

Develop a programme to train environmental and community development interest groups in the basics of media and news feature writing, and how to access the media.

Seek written endorsement on the NEEAPSD from the political directorate

Capacity Development to Facilitate National Awareness Programme Delivery

ACTIONS

Design and implement EE for SD leadership development and awareness programmes for public opinion makers such as media and musicians.

Develop locally relevant material and other resources to support training activities for public opinion makers.

Develop a EE for SD Media Kit to provide information on basic concepts and strategies for EE for SD, and examples of good practice

Promote the integration of EE for SD into the curricula of formal institutions such as CARIMAC etc.

Encourage musical entertainment and other groups to celebrate the environment, sustainable communities and positive images of the future.

	Research and develop networking /coordination mechanisms for key agents involved in the delivery of EE for SD.
	Research and develop evaluation mechanisms to monitor and measure the impact of various public awareness approaches.
	Promote networking among delivery agents through meetings, e-mail and newsletters, to develop or enhance coordination of projects related to the campaign.

Public Access to Environment and Sustainable Development Information

ACTIONS

Establish a national EE for SD database and network.

Support a national public "right to know" legislation;

	Collaborate with existing entities developing technological services to create Internet sites relevant to environment and sustainable development
	Establish a national working group that seeks to systemize decentralized access to information on environment and sustainable development through local organizations.

Programme Area 4:

COMMUNITY LEARNING

Preamble

Local communities – the least formally structured and often the least consulted partner in civil society – bear the brunt of the current environmental crisis and, increasingly, are identified as the key to effective solutions. It is now generally recognized that the participation of community members and relevant interest groups in problem identification, analysis and solution, is fundamental to sustained and meaningful change at the community level. In this context, the roles of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development are many and varied. Community members must be provided with access to relevant environment and sustainable development information and educational processes which will enable them to participate, in an aware fashion, in decision-making and action. Community members must also be exposed to practical ways of integrating sustainable development practices into their lifestyles and livelihoods. Finally, community members must acquire skills necessary to participate in sustainable development planning, practice and monitoring.

Local communities in Jamaica range from urban-based to rural-based communities, although the majority of small settlements are found along highways or along the coast and have urban features. Communities also range in socio-economic stratification. And there is a diversity of local level stakeholders, including local government, the business and professional community, service and community groups, natural resource users, schools, churches, NGOs/CBOs, householders, women and young men. Community-based Environmental Education for Sustainable Development learning initiatives must be designed relative to the diverse range of community interests and priorities.

At the same time, communities must be exposed to wider knowledge on the inter-relationships of the natural, social and economic environments; and empowered with the skills, attitudes and action-orientation needed for action to safeguard the resource base on which their lives and livelihoods ultimately depend.

It must also be recognized that many of Jamaica’s urban and rural communities have generated survival initiatives against environmental degradation, from which national and global communities can draw valuable lessons. Mechanisms which draw participatory and integrative lessons of community into the frame of regional and national development planning, must therefore be developed. National processes and mechanisms for dealing with communities must themselves undergo reform. Many effective community intervention techniques have been developed, based on the work of non-government and community-based organizations within rural and inner-city areas. Properly documented, these can provide useful lessons and tools.

The specific role of community learning is to provide community members with relevant information and tools to facilitate action on issues relating to the environment and sustainable development.

Key Considerations

The following principles underpin community-based Environmental Education for Sustainable Development:

	Local Relevance – Programmes must build on and validate local knowledge and practice related to the environment and sustainable development;
	Integration – Programmes must recognize and utilize the links between rural and urban communities and the natural environment on which community members depend for energy, water, food and livelihoods;

Responsibility – Community learning programmes must develop attitudes and sensitivities toward natural, social, economic and social settings which foster stewardship and a sense of responsible citizenship, within the local – national - global continuum; as well as critical thinking skills and a multi-disciplinary approach to problem identification and solution.

Empowerment – Programmes will develop a sense of self worth, empowerment and rootedness in community and an appreciation of the part that culture and individual creativity play in ensuring survival.

Action-Orientation – Community learning programmes must develop the ability to work individually and collectively towards resolution of environmental problems - reinforcing and enhancing a culture of civic action.

Potential Partners

The wide range of stakeholders currently operating at the community level all represent potential partners for community-based initiatives. These include national government agencies and their local offices, local government officials and organizations, NGOs, CBOs and ENGOs, service clubs, professional associations, cooperatives, special interest groups and local service providers.

Expected Result

The Community Learning programmes will achieve the following result:

"Communities that are knowledgeable about and appreciative of our environment and are empowered to engage in sustainable development processes and practices."

Programme Elements

Action is expected in the following areas:

Leadership Development & Resource Production

Appropriate material resources must be developed, along with a cadre of trainers equipped to facilitate community-based educational processes focused on engaging people in on-going interactive learning, participatory proceses, and developing capacity to participate in decision-making and action.

Policy Development

Policies and associated support instrument must be developed and implemented, which actively promote people’s participation in processes related to the local environment and sustainable development; thereby enabling community-based Environmental Education for Sustainable Development.

Model Community Learning Programmes for Sustainable Development

Community members experience inter-related environmental, economic and social problems day by day in their local situations. Educational processes enable the development of awareness, skills and values which can help individuals and groups plan appropriate action at the community – and ultimately the national - level. Model Community Learning Programmes must be undertaken to test appropriate educational approaches for equipping community members to participate in sustainable community development.

Local Resources and Information Networks

Enhanced local community access to a range of information, tools and technologies is central to informed and meaningful participation in local sustainable development processes. Local resource centers and information networks which promote both local-local and local-national-global exchanges are essential.

 

Leadership Development & Resource Production

ACTIONS

	Design and implement leadership development programmes to enable public sector officers to deliver appropriate community-based environmental education for sustainable development interventions.
	Design and implement leadership development programmes to enable non-formal educational professionals to deliver Environmental Education for Sustainable Development programmes with an emphasis on community animation, vision-setting, participatory planning and decision-making techniques – including consensus building and conflict resolution;
	Document the experiences gained in the model community learning programme (below), in a practical user-friendly "how to" manual which describes procedures and activities for community learning with respect to Environmental Education for Sustainable Development.
	Workshop the manual in training sessions for a wide-range of delivery agents;
	Support the development of local educational workbooks and other resource materials on Jamaican environment and sustainable development and how to plan and take action at the community level.

Develop, and make available to the communities, a simplified version of current environmental legislation and procedures for reporting and taking action against offenders.

 

Policy Development & Support

ACTIONS

	Raise awareness among local politicians and government officers on the importance of community participation to achieve environmental and sustainable development goals at the community level;
	Develop mechanisms to ensure effective community level inputs in national policy development related to environment and sustainable development planning;
	Recognize and support intra-agency networking to establish a policy framework for enhanced community-based development, and policy which includes a focus on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;

Model Community Learning Programme for Sustainable Development

ACTIONS

	Identify and compile examples of effective community education and action programmes island-wide (and regionally.);
	Based on good practice, design and develop model community learning programmes and materials to guide community visioning, planning and action on sustainable living;

Develop a local initiatives fund to help communities continue to innovate in community learning for EE for SD;

Pilot model learning programmes in targeted communities (and in the context of broader initiatives) that experiment with approaches to developing the awareness, values and involve people in local action;

	Develop programme messages, with linked actions, which reflect environmental and sustainable development issues with personal and community relevance;
	Using participatory methods, develop sustainable development indicators and train community members in monitoring these indicators;

Develop tools to monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches;

	Establish wide ranging partnership networks to support pilot model programmes;
	Develop national services that support the extension of the model community learning programme to other communities;
	Develop incentive schemes for communities that demonstrate good practice in sustainable living;

Local Rescoures and Information Networks

ACTIONS

	Support capacity development initiatives for local community-based education, information and research centres;
	Upgrade Environmental Education for Sustainable Development materials and resources at the local level;
	Identify, and provide necessary training support for, a corps of community resource persons;
	Establish a network of community based learning centres, which provide access to user-friendly information, appropriate action and technical expertise;
	Develop mechanisms for feeding local information into centralized Environmental Education for Sustainable Development information systems.
	Support the sharing of experiences, information and technology transfer between communities through systematic documentation and study tours;

Develop a directory of community-based information resources and resource persons;

 

Programme Area 5:

RESOURCES & PRACTICES

Preamble

More quality resources to support Environmental Education for Sustainable Development activities in the formal and non-formal sectors; and more use of both existing and newly developed material: these are the twin goals of a focus on environment and sustainable development resources.

As it stands, several issues impact on resource production and utilization. These include: the extent to which resource materials include information on environment and sustainable development issues and practices relevant to Jamaica’s key needs; the effectiveness with which these messages are communicated through the various media; the efficiency of resource delivery to intended audiences; and the capacity of institutions to produce and upgrade locally-relevant resource materials so as to keep information current, relevant and practical.

Currently, a range of resources exist islandwide, which speak to major environmental problems and touch on sustainable development. However there remain some poorly served subject areas, including wildlife and natural history, marine and coastal issues, and sustainable development issues. In addition, the linkages between environment and sustainable development have not been made explicit or practical.

In respect of resource types, most existing Environmental Education for Sustainable Development material consists of printed documents. There is little audio-visual material. Related, is the lack of material to meet the needs of low-literacy audiences, some levels of students, adult audiences, and such highly defined and influential groups as policy and decision-makers, public servants at all levels, employees, the private sector, and academics. In addition, whereas all available resources address knowledge and some are designed to influence attitudes, few address practices and the development of skills.

Resource quality is another issue, taking into account the needs of the end users. The engagement of professionals to produce material which is also effectively marketed and distributed, will address one level of need. Guidelines for resource production will also enhance capacity to develop high quality, effective material.

There is also the problem of inadequate access to existing resources, compounded by limited production runs and inequitable distribution, particularly in rural Jamaica and in lower income settlements within urban areas. Most of the resource centres which focus on environmental and sustainable development issues, are located in Kingston, or in major urban centres. Public libraries and the school library system, are inadequately served with environmental and sustainable development material.

A central inventory of NGO holdings, continually updated, would facilitate reference to existing resource material, whether this is locally developed, or sourced overseas. It would also reduce chances of overlapping coverage of similar issues by different organizations.

In this respect, capacity is particularly lacking within the non-formal sector. NGOs, which are a major producer of material, within the context of associated programmes, have capacity development needs which include skill in developing, producing and marketing relevant, cost-effective materials. Much material now being used informally by teachers and students, based on NGO/teacher collaboration, could appropriately be standardized, tested and distributed. Within the formal sector, textbook producers are a major force, and a potential partner in efforts to infuse Environmental Education for Sustainable Development concepts and messages in every discipline.

Models of good practice, whether in the formal education sector, within local communities or at the national level, must also be documented and publicized to encourage further positive action.

Key Considerations

The following principles should guide the development and distribution of resources relevant to Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in Jamaica:

	Fair and Accurate Presentation – Resources should describe or shed light on environment and sustainable development problems, issues and solutions, reflecting a diversity of perspectives.
	Depth – Resources should foster an awareness of the natural and built environment, a critical understanding of ecological and sustainable development concepts and issues, and an awareness of the values, attitudes and perceptions underlying issues.
	Local Relevance – Resources should be locally relevant, celebrating appropriate local knowledge and practice. Formats selected should be diverse and cater to a range of abilities, noting the prevalence of the oral tradition in local culture. Consideration should also be given to technological relevance.
	Emphasis on Skills Building – Resources should foster the development of life-long skills that enable learners to participate in sustainable development decision-making and action.
	Action-Orientation – Resources should promote civic responsibility, and enable learners to adopt sustainable development practices in their daily lives, within communities and workplaces.
	User Friendliness – Resources should be well designed, easy to use, and available on an equitable basis.

Potential Partners

Potential partners in enhancing Environmental Education for Sustainable Development resources include the many players engaged in resource production and distribution; operators of community resource facilities; the MOEC which sets the formal education curricula and which is therefore a major reference point for textbook producers; JAMAL Foundation Limited; the Jamaica Library Service; the NGO/CBO umbrella agencies which have some experience with documentation centres; the Press Association of Jamaica, Public Relations Society of Jamaica and Advertising Agencies Association; as well as artists of all types.

Expected Result

The actions set out in the area of Resources & Practices will collectively result in the following :

"Locally relevant, widely used materials and resources which address all sustainable development issues, produced with a high quality of content and mass appeal, with wide and efficient distribution to all target audiences"

Programme Elements

Action is required in the following areas:

Resource Development, Production & Utilization

Enhancing the quality and quantity of resource material on environment and sustainable development issues, both within and outside of the formal education sector, will result in resources more relevant to the needs of the target audiences and enhance levels of use.

Resource Access

Efforts are needed to ensure that potential users are aware of resource materials and can access them, and that there is equitable distribution within urban and rural Jamaica.

Models of Good Practice

Models of good practice, whether they be programmes, projects or material resources, must be documented and promoted.

 

Resource Development, Production & Utilization

ACTIONS

	Develop and publish guidelines for the publication of effective Environmental Education for Sustainable Development resources in Jamaica;
	Pilot the guidelines in workshops and other settings with professionals for feedback;

Collaborate with curriculum developers and publishers of school texts and other local material, to influence the production of high quality, locally relevant school-based resource materials on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development issues;

Repackage existing good material that needs to be made more user-friendly;

	Promote the production of resources to address thematic, resource type and user category gaps that are priorities in other programme areas of the National Environmental Education Action Plan for Sustainable Development. These include sustainable development, sustainable lifestyles, sustainable agriculture, biological diversity, coastal and marine issues, and watersheds;
	Support the production of audio-visual and low-literacy resource materials;

Target institutions such as JAMAL Foundation Limited, which have traditionally been involved in producing support material for special interest groups, but not traditionally involved in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;

	Produce resource materials that promote sustainable development practice in the workplace, taking note of existing practice such as the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA) manual as well as CARIMAC environmental journalism material;
	Promote enhanced cooperation between resource producers in the public and NGO sectors;
	Develop mechanisms for evaluating resources;
	Encourage the production of resources with clear instructions for optimal utilization;
	Deliver resources in the context of demonstration workshops which enable users to learn how to best use the resource;

 

Resource Access

ACTIONS

	Research, develop and maintain a centralized data-base/directory of local, regional and international Environmental Education for Sustainable Development resources Distinguish between school-based and non school-based resources;
	Promote awareness of available resources through existing mechanisms – newsletters, publishers’ catalogues, web-pages, professional associations;
	Promote development of an Environmental Education for Sustainable Development Directory for teachers, produced through MOEC;
	Support the development and maintenance of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development ‘learning centres’ in each parish, using existing information infrastructure such as libraries or science resource centres;
	Create ‘hot-lines’ which teachers, students and the general public can call for information on Environmental Education for Sustainable Development resources.
	Explore opportunities for incorporating Environmental Education for Sustainable Development imperatives into existing electronic networks, or creating a new Environmental Education for Sustainable Development network;
	Provide training in information management for parish-based resource centres, to NGOs, CBOs and other partners;
	Develop a skills bank of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development development experts;

 

Models of Good Practice

ACTIONS

	Host celebrations and award ceremonies which recognize sector-specific initiatives in Environmental Education for Sustainable Development;
	Communicate "Good Practice" in print and non-print form, including field trips, exhibitions, exchanges, networks and study tours;
	Research and develop a regular case-studies series which documents "Good Practice" within schools, communities, the workplace and business, to be made available electronically and in print.

 

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