According to data from The Equitable Education Fund (EEF), in order to address the issues facing the city following the principles, learning city organizers must first identify who the learners are. “What kind of city would you like to live in? Let the city’s residents create the design.”
Raising informed public to address environmental issues and natural disasters
When it comes to well-organized learning cities that are part of the UNESCO worldwide network, “Okayama City,” in Japan, is frequently used as a case study.
The Japanese concept of ESD, or Education for Sustainable Development, places a strong emphasis on raising community members’ knowledge of environmental issues. Community and cooperation with different stakeholders are key to promoting sustainable learning.
The Learning City of Japan, also known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Promotion Division of Okayama City, RCE Okayama, Japan, hosted a closing remarks by Sachie Kumano, Staff Member of SDGs and ESD Promotion Division of Okayama City, Japan. She discussed “Education for Sustainable Development of Okayama City, Japan” within the learning exchange arena “Learning City, lessons from other cities.”
It results from getting support from regional entities like municipalities as well as the collaboration and involvement of several stakeholders. To advance the SDGs and ESD, a specialized support unit has been developed. Community Learning Centers and UNESCO partner schools also employ community-based learning methodologies.
In Okayama, Japan, raising individuals who are conscious of the issues in their community is essential to advancing education for sustainable development.
The lessons learned are applied, particularly in the framework of environmental issues and disaster relief, to help citizens of all ages develop ecological literacy and rapid adaptability. This includes collaborating with diverse stakeholders and fostering community-based sustainable learning.
Course on Treasures from the Nature Classroom
Okayama is a city of learning, as was previously said. The development of ecologically conscious citizens is highly prioritized. As a result, creating education for sustainable development will emphasize and support global citizenship skills in addition to local knowledge and abilities.
Community Learning Centers (CLCs), which exist in as many as 37 schools, will be used as learning centers for the management and design of sustainable learning. In addition, it serves as a coordinating hub, establishing connections, sharing expertise, and even bringing useful methods to community learning centers throughout numerous nations. Youth thus don’t lose out on the chance to gain knowledge about the world beyond their home province.
Fuji Elementary School in Daisan There is a wide range of thorough instructional material. This is not just beneficial on school property, but this school offers more than only instruction in environmental protection, waste reduction, agriculture, and climate change adaptation. With a course like this, kids may learn about the fundamentals of green economics from a veritable gold mine. Powerful behaviors outside of the classroom and increased awareness of locally grown agriculture products are two potential outcomes.
It gives them access to the entire universe of learning.
Another concrete example is Okayama Ichinomiya High School, which cooperates with UNESCO and various organizations. The school takes students out to study the way of life, culture, and business outside the area so that the children can keep up with the world and create fair and equitable international business learning through the umbrella manufacturing process. Student representatives are selected to travel on study tours abroad to learn how to produce their umbrellas through management processes. This learning design allows for a broader exchange of perspectives on children’s ideas about the world.
Promoting education for sustainable development is the goal of the Okayama Learning City Project. It also completes work at the collegiate level. There are programs for interest-based internships and free training. Students can cooperate with national and international non-governmental organizations, private businesses, and local organizations. The intention is for Okayama to become a role model for other cities globally, and for every student to be able to link their ideas and involvement with education for tangible sustainable development.
The Community Learning Center provides a learning hub for Okayama City’s educational establishments. To give citizens of all ages the chance to come together, learn, and take action toward the creation of a sustainable learning society, events, and training are also planned.
Furthermore, the yearly “ESD Okayama” award is awarded to acknowledge the excellent practices of the local community, and the “Good ESD Practice” award is provided to encourage employees. To enable enterprises and economic organizations to support the project and keep fostering cooperation at the national and international levels, it also broadens the education basis for sustainable development or ESD.
An inclusive and systematic approach to education for sustainable development is provided by the Okayama Learning City Project, following UNESCO. It gives a singular and thorough illustration of a city’s management with a 360-degree strategy firmly anchored in the community. Communities, citizens, and numerous other sectors are all represented in it. Furthermore, it’s a creative and varied project. For more towns and cities aiming to be sustainable throughout the world, it serves as an example.
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