esd team summary report 2015.2016

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Report Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the University of Bristol 2015-2016 August 2016

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Page 1: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

Report Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the University of Bristol 2015-2016

August 2016

Page 2: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

2

Contents

About 3

Awards 4

Accreditation 5

Key Events 6

Curriculum Projects 8

Supporting Students 9

Training 10

The Bigger Picture 11

Publications 12

Report compiled by

Aisling E. P. Tierney, Research Associate, August 2016

For more information on ESD activities email [email protected].

Page 3: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

3

About Initiatives undertaken by the ESD Team

Our Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project is an

ambitious, University-wide venture which aims to enable every

one of our students to gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and

values needed to create a sustainable future.

Our understanding of ESD is based on the UNESCO definition of

sustainability, which calls for respect for:

the dignity and human rights of all people throughout the world,

with a commitment to social and economic justice;

cultural diversity, with a commitment to build a culture of

tolerance, non-violence and peace;

the rights of future generations, with a commitment to

intergenerational responsibility;

the greater community of all life forms, including the protection

and restoration of the Earth’s ecosystems.

This framework also stresses the importance of critical thinking,

using interdisciplinary approaches to challenge existing ideas

about what – and how – we learn.

The ESD team works closely with students and academic staff to

embed these concepts into our curriculum. In doing so, our

students learn how the decisions they make will impact on the

world, and how they can challenge and build upon existing

concepts of ecological sustainability and social justice.

To ensure that we understand the changing nature of the formal

curriculum, we conduct regular reviews of the ESD content within

all our units and programmes. This helps shape our engagement

with academic schools. We provide a wide range ofonline

resources, tailored for each school, as well as delivering training

sessions to staff and students as part of the CREATE scheme, the

University’s continuing professional development scheme for

academics.

A key method for embedding ESD within the curriculum is through

the Green Apple Scheme, a funding mechanism that supports

academics who wish to develop new teaching and learning

practices. Through this scheme, teaching staff receive support to

develop projects that embed ESD principles within their discipline,

and students can contribute ideas and suggestions to help shape

the future of their courses.

Did you know?

Over 85 per cent of undergraduates have an

opportunity to study sustainability within

their course.

Page 4: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Awards Celebrating success for ESD

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2016

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

University of Bristol students who work in the community have been honoured with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Thirty-nine per cent of students at Bristol gave time to volunteering in 2016, with more than 100,000 hours given in total. Students volunteered on projects ranging from sustainability initiatives to work helping children with disabilities, young carers, adults with learning disabilities and isolated older people.

The Green Gown Awards 2015 & 2016

The Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK. The University was shortlisted for the Student Engagement category in both 2015 and 2016

Green Gown Awards 2015 & 2016 - Student Engagement Finalists

University of Bristol and University of the West of England - Student Capital: Green Capital: Unleashing the power of Bristol Students

Green Gown Awards 2015 - Student Engagement Finalists

Bristol SU - Learn Act Engage Create: a four-step approach to embedding sustainability into the student experience

Bristol Post’s Green Capital Awards 2016

The University and Union were nominated for several Bristol Post Green Capital Awards. The Student’s Union was up for the innovation award, while ESD Academic Lead, Chris Willmore, was in the running for green hero. On the night, the University won the Green Public sector award.

University Awards 2016

The ESD Team's Hannah Tweddell was awarded the University Award for Enhancing the Student Learning Experience.

Guardian Award 2016

The Guardian University Awards honour universities for projects that transform the lives of students and communities. Bristol SU’s Sustainability project was shortlisted in the Sustainability Project Category.

Bristol SU Awards 2015

Two members of the ESD Team shortlisted in this year's Bristol SU awards: Martin Wiles, shortlisted for UoB Staff Member of the Year, and Aisling Tierney, shortlisted for the Sustainability Award.

Page 5: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Accreditation External benchmarking for ESD

Responsible Futures 2015-2018

Responsible Futures certification is awarded to a whole institution

in recognition of fostering an environment where sustainability

learning can thrive. The Responsible Futures accreditation mark

provides a framework that helps cultivate top-down institutional

change and develop social norms around sustainability education

in both the formal and informal curriculum.

The University, in partnership with Bristol SU, was one of 13 UK

institutions to take part in the recent Responsible Futures pilot,

coming out with full accreditation at the end of a two-day audit that

assessed how well the partnership embeds social and

environmental responsibility in all its activities. The auditors

praised Bristol for its strategic approach to embedding educational

sustainable development (ESD) across the institution, stating that

levels of knowledge and understanding of ESD were ‘well

developed and robust’.

Environmental Management System 2014-2016

We have achieved certification to the world’s most recognised

environmental management system (EMS) standard: ISO 14001.

ISO 14001 is an international standard that provides a framework

for organisations to understand, manage and improve their

environmental impacts and performance. It helps us put

environmental management at the heart of everything we do,

enabling us to achieve success in our sustainability goals. This

includes our teaching and learning initiatives.

well developed

and robust

Page 6: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Key Events Making ESD visible

A Student's Guide to Sustainability Conference 2015 & 2016

Organised by students from the Green Curriculum Team, this

annual conference aims to demonstrate that students are

conducting a wide variety of interesting sustainability related

research as part of their courses. Undergraduate and

postgraduates alike gather to review posters and talks presented

by fellow students. In 2016, topics included research on

smokeless cook stoves, human rights and population growth, CF4

emissions and their risks, the benefits of veganism, biomass

willows and their potential to help the bee population, and what

you can do to become sustainable.

Engage Café 2015 & 2016

Bristol SU Get Green hosted the monthly Engage Café, a

sustainability network with different discussion themes at each

event. Past themes have included Future Cities and Fairtrade.

The Green Curriculum Team also led

Bristol SU Get Green Engage Café meetings were very

successful, exploring a range of environmental, economic and

social topics. Over 285 students attended six Cafes through 2015

to discussed issues including divestment, Fairtrade and future

cities. Each Engage Café was led by a different individual or

group of students.

Sustainability Speaker Series 2016

In the run up to the sell-out student-led research conference, A

Students' Guide to Sustainability, the Green Curriculum Team

hosted a series of exciting speakers who are challenging their

field to make a more positive impact on the World.

The series challenged students to think about how their courses

equip them with the skills to change the world, and see how their

skills could be used for good in the community.

BIG* ­ Bristol is Global 2015-2016

The ESD Team supported the launch of the Bristol is Global

(BiG*) project. Seven teams came up with concepts to answer the

question "How can we further emotionally engage students, senior

University management and the wider community in tackling

climate change?". The University-wide competition and movement

for global change announced 'The OR Campaign' as the overall

winners with their concept for interactive campus installations that

visualise environmental issues.

Page 7: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Key Events Making ESD visible

International ESD Symposium 2016

The University of Bristol and University West of England hosted

and international symposium Learning from the sharp end:

implications for sustainability in higher education. The joint

university event was well attended with high-profile speakers

including Justin Dillon, Andrew Smith (HEFCE), Jamie Agombar

(NUS), Sara Parkin (Forum for the Future) and Carolyn Roberts

(Gresham Chair of the Environment). Core themes explored

included student-led activities, skills and engagement in the formal

curriculum, and the campus and city as living laboratories.

EAUC Annual Conference 2016

The ESD Team were delighted to be part of this year's EAUC

conference (Environmental Association of Universities and

Colleges). The theme for the 2016 Annual Conference was

Learning and Legacy: The Role of Education in Creating

Healthier, Happier Cities.

Our academic lead, Chris Willmore, was a keynote panel session

chair on Bristol's year as the 2015 European Green Capital.

Aisling Tierney spoke on "Achieving Curriculum Change for ESD

in Cash­-Strapped Times" (presented jointly with Peter Rands,

Director of Sustainability Development, Canterbury Christ Church

University).

Sustainability in Higher Education Conference 2016

Canterbury Christ Church University’s Sustainability in Higher

Education: Challenges and Opportunities conference opened in

the grounds of St Augustine's Abbey and featured a talk on

Sustainability and Heritage. The main event featured an

impressive line-up of fascinating talks and workshops, including

our own well received sessions. Academic lead Chris Willmore

spoke on Bristol’s Green Capital student project while Aisling

Tierney presented on the suite of Green Apple Scheme projects

support by ESD funding.

Whole Earth Exhibition 2015

WHOLE EARTH? is based on the premise that the future belongs

to today’s young people and that students and universities

everywhere can play a major role in making society more

sustainable. The exhibition provides the kind of evidence

students need to join the debate about their future. It serves as an

invitation to students and their tutors to articulate the kind of world

they want to live in and show political and business leaders

support to take the difficult long-term decisions that underpin

security for all.

Page 8: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Curriculum Projects Enhancing teaching and learning for ESD

Bristol Futures

While studying at Bristol, our students gain a wide range of

knowledge and skills that are not only vital to getting the most out

of their time at university, but also in preparing them for whatever

comes next.

Bristol Futures is being designed with input from academic

schools, prospective applicants, current students, and employers

to clearly define what makes the ‘Bristol Graduate’ unique. The

development of these transferable skills and attributes will be built

around three pathways, including Sustainable Futures. The ESD

Team is working closely with the project group to deliver

sustainability-related support within this pathway.

Green Apple Scheme

The Green Apple Scheme targets all areas of the institution,

including estates, research, the informal and formal curriculum.

This Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) small grants

scheme offers students and academics at the University of Bristol

the opportunity to develop projects that are discipline specific but

also relate to ESD. Individuals and teams can apply for any

projects relating to taught programmes (including undergraduates

and taught postgraduates). In 2015 and 2016, five projects were

funded by the Green Apple Scheme.

Ethics and Anatomy: student skills and reflection during an

excursion to the Hunterian Museum

Centre for Comparative and Clinical Anatomy, Faculty of

Biomedical Sciences

Green Impact for Health

Centre for Academic Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences

Teacher Education for Sustainable Futures

Graduate School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and

Law

Site-Specific and Immersive Performance

Department of Theatre, Faculty of Arts

Embedding Sustainability Thinking into Fieldwork: placing student

learning at the heart of community engagement

Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Page 9: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Supporting Students Enhancing the student experience for ESD

Green Capital: Student Capital

The Green Capital: Student Capital project aimed to place

students at the heart of Bristol’s European Green Capital 2015

year, encouraging and facilitating student engagement in a wide

range of both curricular and extra-curricular placement and

volunteering activities with a Green Capital focus.

The University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE) and the

University of Bristol – with their respective students’ unions –

worked in partnership with the city and local communities, using

Higher Education Funding Council for England Catalyst (HEFCE)

funding to promote student involvement in Green Capital activities

across Greater Bristol.

Student Capital created a broad programme of citywide impact

during European Green Capital. It delivered a programme of

student and staff engagement in enhancing sustainability within

the city and has developed student and staff engagement with

sustainability action.

Students in Bristol gave 109,730 hours of their time to engaging

with local organisations, tackling issues of sustainability in the city

and wider region. This equates to 64.5 years’ worth of work

provided to date, and an economic contribution of £1,051,736.

The Student Capital project engaged with over 7,500 students in

the Green Capital year.

NUS Sustainability Survey 2016

Understanding our students’ views on sustainability helps us to

respond to what students want and reflect on what we are doing.

74% of students agree that universities should be obliged to

develop student’s social and environmental skills as part of their

courses.

74% of students agree that the University of Bristol takes action to

limit the negative impact it has on the environment and society.

66% of students agree that being a student at the University of

Bristol encourages them to think and act to help the environment,

and other people.

Change Makers

The Green Capital Change Maker Award was created to mark the

contribution of University of Bristol students to European Green

Capital in 2015 and beyond. To achieve the award, students need

to have completed 7 hours of volunteering or engagement with the

city in a social, economic or environmental sustainability related

activity. Students also need to have shared their action, to

encourage others to take action too. For Gold Change Maker

students need to have completed 20 hours. Students have taken

part in an exciting range of activities and have written blogs about

their experiences.

Page 10: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Training Developing confidence for ESD

Teaching and Learning Workshops

CREATE (Cultivating Research and Teaching Excellence) is the

University of Bristol's continuing professional development

scheme for academics. It provides academic staff an opportunity

to enhance their practice within a world class research-intensive

university and to gain national recognition for their commitment to

developing their role. The scheme contributes to the University’s

commitment to research and educational excellence.

The ESD Team regularly deliver ESD workshops to both staff and

postgraduate students who teach, embedded within CREATE.

Student Leader Training

ESD training was provided for Bristol SU course reps during

induction and again at the Bristol SU Leaders conference.

Attendees were encouraged to join the Green Curriculum Team,

consider the sustainability-related open units available at the

University, and think about different types of learning strategies for

sustainability.

Page 11: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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The Bigger Picture The University’s wider vision

Vision and Strategy

The launch of the University's new Vision and Strategy highlighted

how important sustainability is to the institution. Sustainability is

embedded in everything we do: the research we support, our

curricula, the student experience we offer and the way we behave

as an organisation.

The Vision and Strategy identifies the institution’s key aims:

Seek to mainstream sustainability in the minds of all our students

and nurture future leaders in sustainable thinking.

Boost our world-class research capacity and promote policy

innovation in sustainability.

Continue to set ambitious institutional targets in areas such as

transport, water usage and energy usage.

UNESCO GAP Commitment

The overarching goal of the Global Action Programme (GAP) on

ESD is “to generate and scale up action in all levels and areas of

education and learning to accelerate progress towards

sustainable development”. The University signed up to the

UNESCO programme to ensure ESD opportunities are part of

every students experience at Bristol.

Global Sustainable Literacy Test

Bristol was amongst the first wave of collaborators with the Global

Sustainability Literacy Test. This is a global initiative to develop a

way of assessing how prepared our students are to tackle some of

the key challenges in social, economic and environmental

sustainability facing the planet in a manner which is culturally

sensitive but enables comparisons.

The test was designed to measure the knowledge and skills

students have for dealing with sustainability challenges, not their

attitudes to it – it thus measures how future fit our students are in

terms of their capacity to handle key global challenges. The

average score for Bristol students was 55.8%. This compares to

an average score in England of 53.82% and a global average of

53.28%.

Skills Bridge

There are currently nearly 50,000 studying across both

universities of Bristol on a range of courses. Many of these

students work with organisations across the city not just as a way

of learning new skills, but also being part of the community. They

volunteer, do projects and dissertations as part of their courses,

and take up paid roles in organisations either as interns, part­time

work or on placements. The University of Bristol and the

University of the West of England have set up a new web

platform, Skillsbridge, to make it easier for organisations to

connect with students across both Universities on these

opportunities.

Page 12: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

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Publications Sharing best practice

Press

Read interviews with the ESD Team in the special Bristol's green light edition of Nonesuch magazine: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/news/read-nonesuch-online/spring-2015/

ESD Team member Hannah Tweddell featured in the EAUC's Meet a Professional series. Read about her role as a Sustainability and Engaged Learning Coordinator on the EAUC website: http://www.eauc.org.uk/meet_a_sustainability_and_engaged_learning_coor

Reports

Clayton, W., longhurt, J., Willmore, C., Bigg, M., Brooks, I., Dare-Edwards, E., Darwen, J, Corpo, Rd, Gough, G, Heywood, G, Hills, S, Howells, L-K, Hyland, F., Idle, J., Khan, H., Miller, K., Owen, D., Sharratt, J., Talbot, H., Tierney, A., Tweddell, H. & Walsh, A. 2016, ‘The Bristol Method: Green Capital: Student Capital: The power of student sustainability engagement’. UWE, Bristol

Willmore, C., Longhurst, J. & Clayton, W. 2016, ‘Review of the contribution of Green Capital: Student Capital to Bristol's year as European Green Capital’. UWE, Bristol

Journal Articles

Willmore, C., 2016, ‘Student Capital in Green Cities: Building - university-student-city coalitions’. in: Leal Filho, W., Brandli, L. (eds) 2016 Engaging Stakeholders in Education for Sustainable Development at University Level. Springer Berlin, Berlin

Tierney, A., Tweddell, H., Willmore, C. 2015 "Measuring education for sustainable development: Experiences from the University of Bristol", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 16 Iss: 4, pp.507 – 522

Willmore, C. 2015, ‘Reflective Action: linking informal and formal curriculum learning’. in: Education for Sustainable Development Pedagogy: Criticality, Creativity, and Collaboration: PedRIO Occasional Paper 8., PLymouth, pp. 23-28

Willmore, C. 2015, 'Experimentalist governance and ESD; Deproblematising decentralization'. in Education for Sustainable Development: Towards the Sustainable University: PedRIO Occasional Paper 9. vol. 8, Plymouth, pp. 23-25.

Willmore, C. & Tweddell, H 2015, 'Experiences of ‘Reflective Action’: Forging Links Between Student Informal Activity and Curriculum Learning for Sustainability'. in W Leal Filho (ed.) 2015 Transformative Approaches to Sustainable Development at Universities: World Sustainability Series., Chapter 36, Springer International Publishing Switzerland, Switzerland.

Willmore, C. 2015, 'City Student Sustainability engagement as a locale for developing intercultural competencies'. in Copernicus Alliance European Network on HE for Sustainable Development Madrid.

Resources:

Search for Bristol ESD wiki online to access our

extensive open-source database

Page 13: ESD Team Summary Report 2015.2016

Aisling E. P. Tierney, Research Associate Academic Quality and Partnerships Office: Academic Registry Room 2.04, Senate House, Bristol, BS8 1TH Email [email protected]

bristol.ac.uk/green/doing/sustainability-courses/