Fleming College

Peterborough, ON (January 11th, 2017) Peterborough-Kawarthas-Haliburton has been designated as a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development by the United Nations University as endorsed by UNESCO.

The RCE initiative recognizes regions from around the world that demonstrate leadership in addressing complex sustainability challenges, and works to network these communities internationally to support even greater innovation and collaboration.

The region was selected through a juried review process by the Ubuntu Committee of Peers, and was among only a few to receive the prestigious designation. This is a true testament to the leadership and commitment to sustainability demonstrated across this region. In addition to Toronto and Sudbury, Peterborough-Kawarthas-Haliburton is only the third RCE to be designated in the province, and the eighth in Canada. There are 150 RCEs globally.

A diverse partnership that included academic institutions such as Fleming College, governments and government agencies, private sector partnerships, and NGOs came together to support the development of our region’s RCE application.

“This designation is a testament to a commitment, across our region, to sustainability education at all levels. It reflects our strong capacity to work together as academic institutions, businesses, NGOs, governments, and citizens to achieve a more sustainable future for generations to come. Fleming College is proud to be a partner in this initiative,” said Fleming College President Tony Tilly.

The success of this application also speaks to the long regional history of transformative and collaborative education to achieve local and global sustainability goals.

The application identified five long-term objectives that will guide the work of the local RCE network moving forward. These include:

• • To recognize the vital importance of Indigenous Knowledge systems as they engage across all curricula
• To implement age-appropriate sustainability and stewardship education frameworks from pre-school to secondary school, in both formal and informal settings
• To build strong bridges between school curriculum and the spectrum of programs offered at Trent University and Fleming College
• To link post-secondary programs and community-based training programs to green jobs, research, and innovation in the region, and
• To develop reciprocal exchanges of sustainability knowledge and practice between residents within the region and with communities across the globe

While the work of this newly established RCE network lies ahead, this designation will serve as a meaningful platform and catalyst for deeper partnerships and sustained collaborative action. A formal program launch and celebration is being planned for May 2017, with more details to be shared in the coming months.

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For more information contact:

Brianna Salmon | Executive Director | GreenUP, 705-745-3238 x 203

Jacob Rodenburg | Executive Director | Camp Kawartha, 705-652-3860

Jane Gray | Fleming College, 705-872-5723