SHED detailed aims

• To provide a means for EAUC members to disseminate relevant information about events, publications, jobs, conferences and awards to interested colleagues.

• To stimulate discussion of the first principles and root meanings of Education for Sustainability: ‘Why are we committed to this? What values matter most to us, and why? What values, competencies and dispositions do we think will best realise the future, personal through global, that we are working for?’ (Selby and Kagawa 2011: 27).

• To treat the concept of sustainability and Education for Sustainability critically and explore the advantages and disadvantages of a wide range of alternative approaches from ecopedagogy and transition, to deep green resistance and the dark mountain project – treating each approach equally critically (Jickling and Wals 2007).

• To help create connections between Education for Sustainability and 
a) aspects of the physical campus beyond the classroom
b) related educational areas such as global citizenship and 
c) community initiatives beyond the university.

• To investigate how education prepares students for leadership, and how it can better “empower every individual to think on a vastly different scale and in new ways, to challenge assumptions and take an effective leadership role” (Rayment and Smith 2010: 3).

• To share ideas and experience with regard to strategies, organisational change and learning towards the more 'sustainable university', and help monitor progress in this regard at institutional, national and international levels (see Sterling 2001).

• To consider themes that are sometimes overlooked in Education for Sustainability (e.g., indigenous knowledge, disaster risk reduction, cultural diversity, health promotion, or gender equality [UNESCO 2011]).

• To reconsider the forms of knowledge valued by universities, in order to help preserve intergenerational, community-based knowledge of how to live sustainability in the local environment (Bowers 2011).

• To provide a link from EfS in higher and further education to other EfS communities such as continuing professional development, community education and schools.

References

• Bowers, Chet (2011) University Reform in an era of global warming. Eugene: Eco-justice press

• Jickling, Bob and Arjen Wals (2007) Globalization and environmental education: looking beyond sustainable development. Journal of Curriculum Studies 40:1:1-21

• Rayment, John and Jonathan Smith (2010) Misleadership: prevalence, causes and consequences. London: Gower

• Selby and Kagawa (2011) Development education and education for sustainable development: are they striking a Faustian bargain? Policy & Practice: a development education review. 12:15-31
www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue12-focus3?page=3

• Stibbe, Arran (ed) (2009) The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy: skills for a changing world. Dartington: Green books. The handbook is available both as a paperback and as a free multi-media site containing the chapters from the paperback plus additional chapters and interviews with authors.

• Sterling, Stephen (2001) Sustainable Education: revision learning and change. Dartington: Green Books

• UNESCO (2011) Education for Sustainable Development en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development

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