Manitoba students will have access to new resources at school to help them make smart choices for themselves and the environment, Premier Greg Selinger announced.
Selinger made the announcement at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, where he will be part of a panel discussion to highlight the importance of education for sustainable development (ESD) in building green societies and economies. The Educating for Sustainable Development panel will also showcase concrete examples and success stories from different stakeholders including Manitoba.
“Manitoba is currently the only province in Canada that includes sustainable development in its mission and vision statement for education,” said Selinger. “Everyone has a role to play as we strive to make Manitoba one of the most sustainable places to live on earth. Our goal with education for sustainable development is to give young people the tools they need to make informed choices for themselves and our environment.”
To build on Manitoba’s reputation as a leader in ESD, the province will:
• launch a new Grade 12 course called Global Issues: Citizenship and Sustainability to promote active democratic citizenship, ecological literacy, critical media literacy and ethical decision-making;
• create Canada’s first Education for Sustainable Leadership Council comprised of school boards, teachers, parents and post-secondary institutions;
• work toward a goal of ensuring every school in Manitoba has a sustainable school plan by 2015; and
• expand the natural resource officers in schools program to ensure more students can learn about how Manitoba’s abundant natural resources are conserved and protected for future generations.
The premier noted the province is also partnering with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on a number of projects including an upcoming report on ESD in post-secondary institutions in Manitoba.
“IISD considers Manitoba a world leader in preparing the next generation to help build a more sustainable world. By investing in education for sustainable development from kindergarten to Grade 12 and beyond, Manitoba will ensure that its youth are knowledgeable, skilled and committed to a greener future for all,” said Heather Creech, director, global connectivity, IISD.
“Globally, we need to recognize that sustainability concerns everyone and it is up to everyone to contribute to changes in thinking, values, attitudes and behaviours that will help us to achieve sustainable development,” said Selinger. “We must start early by educating our children to become personally engaged in building a more sustainable Manitoba.”
