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Teaching to Beat Climate Change

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Education for Green Jobs��

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��Debra Rowe

President

US Partnership for Education for �Sustainable Development�

�Education for a Sustainable Society: ���

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“enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions …, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.”

��Changemaker Skills needed for SD are the skills employers value! �Rowe D. and Hiser K. (2016) “Higher Education for Sustainable Development in the Community and through Partnerships” in Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development, ed. Barth, M., Michelsen, G., Rieckmann, M., & Thomas, I., Routledge, Oxford, UK.������� �

Examples – where climate and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) fits in education

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• Obvious - Technology courses – cold climate heat pumps, energy efficiency, electrification/decarbonization of buildings and transportation, sustainable manufacturing, solar, wind, other renewable energies, projects around clean water, clean cooking, energy efficiency technologies, sustainable transportation, smart buildings, sustainable manufacturing

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• Less obvious - Political Science – Clarifications of terms re: political and economic systems, choices and outcomes plus metrics on quality of life, energy poverty, climate impacts, needed policy changes, equity via the political system, too much disinformation and influence of some stakeholders

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ALL ACADEMIC AREAS HAVE A UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY IN �EDUCATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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Examples – where climate and ESD fits

Note: There is no energy “discipline”

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• Psychology – in social psychology, learning, attitude and behavior change, societal norms/moral development, assignments to apply psychological principles to equity, reduction of human suffering, bystander effect and the SDGS, energy behavior, social progress indicators, happiness

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• Physics, biology and chemistry – the science of planetary boundaries, climate change mitigation, biomimicry

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• Economics – Ecological economics, circular economy, European models of equity and safety nets and social policies, sharing economy, Mondragon, modified capitalism and socialism, sustainable community indicators, integration of externalities

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ALL ACADEMIC AREAS HAVE A UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY IN �EDUCATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Key Trends – �Campus, Community and Globe as a Living Lab for Climate and Sustainable Development Solutions

1. Reach out to employers and potential employers – business, non-profits, government - go to where they are – share examples of what they can do
2. Build market demand – Have students create many community events (e.g. Positive Future Fairs) where you can have employers as observers and as presenters – lending the school/college’s credibility and access to free media to the value of products/services/activities that are sustainable
3. Work with all stakeholders to create a more sustainable future for the region, the country and the globe. All levels are crucial.
4. Educate the public about the need for better policy and help them weigh in

Real world applied projects. Examples:

Engineering/Math: conducting and presenting energy audits for non-profit, business and governmental organizations;

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English and Graphic Arts: creating solar energy education materials for local organizations in the community;

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Psychology: designing, assisting with implemention, and/or evaluating energy efficiency behavioral initiatives in high schools and summer youth programs utilizing learning and motivation theories;

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More examples of real world applied projects:

• Public Speaking: Developing and delivering consumer education about clean energy adoption;
• Education: development of a MOOC on climate change and with a focus on what people can do
• Marketing: designing and implementing outreach and marketing for the businesses and non-profits in the city/community;
• Economics: assisting with creation of an employee incentive program to generate sustainable workplace suggestions
• Math with Student Life and Facilities: create a garbage pile and document lbs and types of “garbage” that can be recycled or not used at all

More examples of real world applied projects:

• Geoscience: assisting with design and implementation of a public awareness Green Map that identifies green and sustainable organizations in Detroit; �
• Chemistry: contributing to a city’s Climate Action Plan, working with an environmental justice organization, conducting the Greenhouse Gas Analysis�
• Religion and Ethics: designing national and international questions for the International Sustainability Literacy Test; �
• Political Science, Sociology…: Informing elected representatives about the details of quality sustainability policies.

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STEM Society Partners����American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) �American Chemical Society (ACS) �American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) �American Psychological Association (APA) �American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)�Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) �Mathematical Association of America (MAA) �National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT)�National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)�National Numeracy Network (NNN)�Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE)

Project Partners�

U.S. Department of Education’s �SISL initiative�

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Sustainability Improves Student Learning –

http://serc.carleton.edu/sisl

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Key Components of quality sustainability assignments

Hundreds of learning activities

Beginner’s handbook

Sustainability, climate and empowering students

Self-assessment on change agent skills

More….

Also climate education materials from the US government. https://cleanet.org/index.html

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3 components of quality assignments

1. Promote understanding without doom and gloom.�Show more
2. Focus on solutions.�Show more
3. Empower students to make positive changes, moving from analysis to systemic action.�Show more

Key Competencies for Sustainability Education

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Brundiers, K., Barth, M., Cebrián, G. et al. Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework. Sustain Sci 16, 13–29 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2

For education, �climate mitigation/adaptation and sustainability is being� integrated into:

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Curricula

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Research

Operations

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Community�Outreach and

Partnerships

Student Life

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Professional Development

Mission and

Planning

Purchasing

public awareness

Legislative

action

Thanks to Wynn Calder for this diagram

For more resources, visit the �US Partnership for ESD

https://uspartnership.org/

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Education for Green Jobs��

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��Debra Rowe

President

US Partnership for Education for �Sustainable Development�

HESI - Education for Green Jobs

Started with a global guidance document

Collaborators:

Contributions from the following groups:

IREC

EAUC

IAU

ILO

IRENA

NYEC

SDSN

UNEP

UNESCO

UNIDO

UNITAR

UPF

World Bank

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US Partnership for ESD

SDG Publishers Compact Fellows

The green economy employers are very busy!

They are implementing climate solutions.

They need our help!

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• Core Challenge: There are thousands of technical institutions and universities.
• Green economy companies and nonprofits don’t have the time to tell each institution what they need for curricula, career advising and job placement processes.

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• Core Solution: Our Green Jobs initiatives are designed to work with all interested people to help employers meet workforce needs more effectively. �

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The green economy employers are very busy!

They are implementing climate solutions.

They need our help!

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Outcomes are Improved:

1. Curricular upgrades and employee skills
2. Career Guidance
3. Student/Employee recruitment & job placements
4. More useful research - aligned to climate and the� other SDGs - HESI Compact Fellows Action Tips

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Next Steps for green jobs after today

1. Register for the next Solutions Summit: https://tinyurl.com/SolutionSummit4
2. Use the Key Resources document
3. If you missed a summit, get the info at https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/
4. Review, fill in and use the Action Plan Template: https://tinyurl.com/IPECActionPlan
5. Connect with each other via the LinkedIn or listserv

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Free, self-paced learning

• Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) – e-learning series
• UN Climate Change Partnership – catalogue of courses related to climate action, green, and circular economy

Thanks to Maya Valcheva for sharing this slide

GLN Network

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• Explore knowledge
• Connect and collaborate

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Join the forum (instructions on how to join available here)

Collaborations

Managed by:

US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development

Components of the Education for Green Jobs initiative. What we are doing:

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1. Convened technical vocational and university educators. (With the International Association of Universities) Feb ‘22�
2. Convened employers (With REN21) Feb ‘22�
3. IRENA complementary survey on skills gap Spring ‘22

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Timeline of activities internationally:

4. Green Jobs Initiative Solutions Summits

• June ‘22 - Recruiting Students and Streamlining Job Placement
1. Energy and Climate Heroes campaigns
2. Solving barriers to entry and employment
3. Creating an inclusive workforce and improving retention�
• September ‘22 - Research alignment�
• October ‘22 - Curricular Updates�

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Empowering People Initiative�Co-leads: Canada, United States, �European Commission�

Clean Energy Ministerial

Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Understanding Gaps,

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Sharing Successes,

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Overcoming Barriers

Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Interactive Solutions Summit Series with �Expert Speakers

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Vetted Resources and Examples of �Clean Energy Workforce Development �Policies and Programs

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Clean Energy Workforce Toolkit

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Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Attendees from:

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Governments

Education

Businesses

NGOs

100 Countries Registered, Open to All

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Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Focus Areas:

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1. Recruitment
2. Career Advising
3. Curricula
4. Job Placement
5. Marginalised Populations
6. Fixing Organisational and Societal Systems via �Just Clean Energy Transitions

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Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Expert Speakers and Opportunities

See more at https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

1. Chair of the Board of Directors, Global Wind Organisation
• Want to work on country specific curricula
• Has standards with learning tasks�
2. Head, SolarWorks, SolarPower Europe
• International jobs platform

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Expert Speakers and Opportunities

See more at https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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3. Programme Officer, International Renewable Energy Agency
• Join NEW Energy Transition Education Network, free youth curricula �
4. World Secretariat, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability
• Accelerated implementation of solutions through access to mostly pro-bono experts and implementers in higher education and local governments
• Collaborate with ICLEI and Mission Innovation to meet human needs and�fix systems

Integrated Policymaking and Empowering Communications �for the �Clean Energy Workforce and Economy (IPEC)

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https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/

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Focus on convening stakeholders

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Building collaborative, coordinated outcomes

Next Steps for green jobs after today

• Register for the next Solutions Summit: https://tinyurl.com/SolutionSummit4
• Use the Key Resources document
• If you missed a summit, get the info at https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/ipec-convenings/
• Review, fill in and use the Action Plan Template: https://tinyurl.com/IPECActionPlan
• Connect with each other via the LinkedIn or listserv

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The Power Of What You Do��We can choose a sustainable future

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economictimes.indiatimes.com

For more information:

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DebraRowe@aya.yale.edu

US Partnership for ESD

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UNEP-YEA

HESI

CEM

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• Energy/Climate/Environment�
• Labour/Employment

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• Education

Stakeholders to collaborate and coordinate! From within government:

• Economic Development

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• Industry/Commerce

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• Social Affairs & Well Being

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Stakeholders to collaborate and coordinate! Implementers:

• Industry
• Nonprofits
• Local government and organisations
• Organised Labour

• Educators and their organisations
• Accrediting bodies, curricular decision-making groups, career advisors and student recruitment professionals