The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) will collaborate with over 80 leading scholars, agencies and organisations in the fields of climate change and education to implement the six-year Monitoring & Evaluation of Climate Change Education (MECCE) partnership project.
Dr. Marcia McKenzie of the University of Saskatchewan will lead the partnership. (Photo: Dave Stobbe)
The MECCE partnership, led by University of Saskatchewan College of Education Professor and Director of both the Sustainability Education Research Institute (SERI) and Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) Dr. Marcia McKenzie, aims to increase both the quality and quantity of global climate change education, training and public awareness. Funding for the project is provided by a CAN$2.5-million Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Despite the urgent threat that climate change poses to the future of our planet and the integrity of human life on Earth, there is still a troubling gap in public climate change knowledge. Climate change denial, along with rhetoric minimising the risks associated with climate change, continue to be amplified worldwide despite scientific evidence to the contrary. Effective education is essential to overcoming climate denial, advancing climate literacy and driving climate action.
“Education plays a critical role in fostering the kinds of changes in lifestyles, attitudes and behaviours needed to create a sustainable world. Through this major federal investment and working with our many partners around the world, we will help improve climate change education policies and practices, train students and policy makers, and develop a standard set of quality education indicators for monitoring progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said University of Saskatchewan Vice-President of Research Karen Chad.
The expected outcomes of MECCE include a greater understanding of the factors that characterise quality Climate Change Education (CCE), new indicators to enable effective CCE target-setting, the incorporation of project outputs into environmental policy practices, a new generation of effective climate education leaders and researchers, and increased global climate change action through a more educated citizenry.
“With better understandings of quality climate change education and training, countries will be able to improve their policy and practice, whether that is developing more effective environmental education curricula for elementary schools, or launching employee emission-reduction programs for local businesses,” said Dr. McKenzie.
FEE strengthens the MECCE partnership
With nearly 40 years of experience facilitating environmental education around the world, FEE will contribute to the objectives of MECCE by sharing practical and informed input about the evaluation and implementation of quality environmental education. The strength of the FEE network, with 99 member organisations in 77 countries, will also prove a valuable asset for assessing and disseminating Climate Change Education around the world.
One of the first actions of MECCE will be to gather 30 case studies from six continents to generate a greater understanding of quality CCE from diverse geographical and cultural perspectives. FEE, through the extensive reach of its programmes, will support the acquisition of truly global case studies based on existing FEE projects with various economic, social, cultural and geographical contexts and diverse target audiences (students, managers, teachers, tourists etc.).
Another critical outcome of MECCE will be the development of new CCE monitoring indicators to enable global CCE target-setting and evaluation. FEE will contribute to this element of the project with advice based on its own experience monitoring and evaluating FEE’s educational programmes and projects, and by providing validation of the proposed indicators.
FEE is an ideal MECCE partner when it comes to knowledge mobilisation, based on the organisation’s strong global network and extensive programme reach. FEE also plans to integrate MECCE’s findings into its own programme and project designs in order to build educational capacity and maximise positive impact. FEE’s multinational Member Organisations can assist with translating and adapting materials for different national and regional contexts. FEE is also in the process of developing an online learning platform called FEE Academy, which will further the dissemination of MECCE materials through an open online repository of educational courses and learning materials.
As Dr. McKenzie concludes, “The science on human-induced climate change is conclusive, but it has been challenging to connect the need for societal change with existing priorities and values. This project will help us better communicate with various groups in ways that resonate with them, with an aim to ultimately inspire and incite more communities and countries to act.”
All quotes are taken from the original University of Saskatchewan article and are used here with permission.