RBC Sustainability Leadership Certificate:Our Unique Engaged Learning Approach

Susan Tirone, PhD

College of

Sustainability

Presentation Overview

• Program development process

• Theoretical framework

• Our ‘engaged learning’ framework

• Story telling and story collecting theme

• Program overview

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Program Development Process

• Proposal development 2010

• 3 year pilot program funded by Dalhousie University

• Focused on sustainability

• Designed as conference style program with service learning component

• First year pilot - 2011-2012

• Testing of proposal – student and community consultations

• Implementation in pilot - 2012-13 & 2013-14

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Results of consultation

• Students & community liked the proposal ideas

• But recommended:

• Action/experiential projects – not ‘extra’ volunteering

• Opportunity to learn to lead, do it, get feedback, and to reflect

• Experience emphasize real world challenges and change leadership

• Emphasis on collective rather than individual action

• Build on students’ existing experience, skills, strengths

• Involve community based mentors

• Create co-learning environment with instructors/mentors

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Creating and implementing the program

• Community partnership for Program development and facilitation

• Local Specialists in youth leadership, youth engagement, community development

• Introduced story telling as a unique unifying thread

• Developed our ‘engaged learning’ approach

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• Adapted from: Jones, B., Valdez, G., Nowakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994).

• Teacher’s role: facilitator & co-learner

• Students explore and discover concepts of interest

• Apply their skills to practical scenarios

• Construct and produce knowledge in meaningful ways

• Students work collaboratively

• Facilitators create a supportive learning environment

• Deep appreciation for diversity and multiple perspectives

Our Engaged Learning Framework

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Our Engaged Learning Framework

• Student driven

• Not necessary to add new initiatives to already busy student schedule

• Designed to have students deepen their understanding of what they already do

• In context of a sustainable world

• Use both The Natural Step (TNS) and BrundtlandDefinitions

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The Natural Step

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• In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing

• Concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust

• Concentrations of substances produced by society

• Degradation by physical means

and, in that society

• people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs

Brundtland Definition

• Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

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Program Goals

College of Sustainability

• Students in the RBC Sustainability Leadership

Certificate program will:

• Explore and practice personal and group leadership

• Be inspired to take effective sustainability actions

• Gain competencies and practical tools to lead change

• Demonstrate leadership to increase sustainability in

their own contexts

• Gain skills to inspire and build capacity in others to

take action for sustainability

Our use of ‘competency’ language

• These are the skills, knowledge, abilities and aptitudes we teach or mentor students to begin to understand

• It is the language of employment and academia

• So we think it is useful for the RBC SLC

• But we are never totally competent or prepared to address sustainability problems

• Our training is never finished

• Change is constant, as is our ability to adapt and respond to it

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Framework: RBC SLC: 6 Competencies

1. Sharing and valuing sustainability stories

2. Seeing connections & understanding root causes

3. Anticipating & envisioning the future

4. Facilitating & working with others

5. Planning & taking action for change

6. Personal Well-being: Understanding & nurturing yourself as a sustainability leader

Adapted from

• Wiek, Withycombe & Redman (2011) Key Competencies in Sustainability: A reference framework for academic program development, Sustain Sci (2011) 6:203-218

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Story Collecting Project Action Project

Program components - Overview

Rich and varied learning environments

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Next steps

• Revise and implement program based on feedback

• Developmental evaluation is ongoing

• Funding secured for 10 years from RBC Foundation

• Develop Online Handbook

• Develop Sustainability Leaders training

• Offer an abbreviated program for Canadian Commonwealth Leaders in 2015

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