Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T06:24:57.322Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

As Aussie as Vegemite: Building the Capacity of Sustainability Educators in Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2012

Phil Smith ,
Grahame Collier  and
Hazel Storey
Phil Smith
Affiliation:
KnowHands Education Consultancy
Grahame Collier*
Affiliation:
T Issues Consultancy
Hazel Storey
Affiliation:
The Storey Agency Pty Ltd
*
†Address for correspondence: Grahame Collier, T Issues Consultancy, PO Box 728, Balgowlah, NSW 2093, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Vegemite, a thick, rich and salty product made from yeast extract, is a paste commonly spread on bread or toast in Australian households. This iconic product mirrors some of the unique aspects of this country. For example, Vegemite thinly spread is best. The population of this country is sparse across the wide lands, and the Australian environment with its thin soils, water shortages and intense climates, might also be described as spread thin. These aspects of context present challenges because Australia needs quality sustainability educators thick on the ground to deal with the many and diverse environmental issues.

This paper describes the development of the Australian National Professional Development Initiative for Sustainability Educators (NPDISE) and how it was infuenced by the Australian context. Multiple challenges existed: the size of the country, its environmental conditions and rich biodiversity, distance and space between major centres, distribution of people and resources, understanding of and support for education, and three tiers of government – each with its own policies, programs and priorities. On top of this, the practice of sustainability education crosses multiple professional sectors and disciplines. All these challenges had to be taken into account.

Research conducted by the Waste Management Association Australia in 2009 revealed that the needs of Australia's sustainability educators in overcoming many of these challenges were broadly consistent around Australia. This gave encouragement to the establishment of a national professional development approach for those working in the environmental education feld. This paper shows how four professional associations – Australian Association for Environmental Education, Waste Management Association Australia, Australian Water Association, and the Marine Education Society of Australasia – worked together for the frst time and approached these challenges whilst developing the NPDISE. A 1954 jingle said Vegemite would help children “grow stronger every single week”. The NPDISE represents a similar ethos with an emphasis on building the sector.

Keywords

professional developmentcapacitycollaborationdiversitysustainabilityeducation
Type
Research/Practice Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 27 , Issue 1: Special Issue: The “ness” of Environmental Education , 2011 , pp. 175 - 185
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Association for Environmental Education, Australian Water Association. Marine Education Society Australia, Waste Managers Association Australia, (2010). Work In Progress Strategic Plan Version 090310. Retrieved from http://www.aaee.org.au&/wp-content/uploads/EE-EfS-PD-Strategic-Plan-Work-in-Progress-March-10.pdfGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006). Census data: Community Profles. Various data sets retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/census+dataGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010). Population Clock. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/0/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocumentGoogle Scholar
Collier, G., & Armstrong, P. (2010, August). Building our Capacity – National Professional Development Initiative for Sustainability Educators. Presented at Enviro 10 Conference, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Department of Environment and Heritage (2000). Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future: National Action Plan. Canberra: Commonwealth Government of Australia.Google Scholar
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2006). Biodiversity. In State of the Environment Report (p. 35) Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/report/pubs/soe-2006-report-chapters-5–6.pdfGoogle Scholar
Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (2009). Living Sustainably:the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability. Canberra: Commonwealth Government of Australia.Google Scholar
NSW Department of Environment Climate Change and Water (2006). Professional Development for Educators Project Draft Needs Assessment Report and Project Strategy (unpublished). Sydney.Google Scholar
Fien, J., & Rawling, R. (1996). Refective Practice: A Case Study of Professional Development for Environmental Education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 27(3), 11–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hesselink, F., Pretorius, C., & Wheeler, K. (2005). Redefning Capacity Development for the 21st Century: New Learning for Sustainable Solutions. Gland: Commission on Education and Communication, IUCN.Google Scholar
Garnaut, R. (2008). The Garnaut Climate Change Review. Chapter 6: Climate Change Impacts on Australia. Retrieved from http://www.garnautreview.org.au/chp6.htmGoogle Scholar
National Training Information Service (n.d.) About NTIS http://www.ntis.gov.auGoogle Scholar
Robottom, I. (1987). Two paradigms of professional development in environmental education. The Environmentalist, 7(4), 291–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sterling, S. (2008). Sustainable Education – Towards a Deep Learning Response to Unsustainability. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review. Volume 6 (Spring 2008), 63–68. Retrieved from http://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue6-perspectives1Google Scholar
The Audit Office of NSW (2010). Sydney Water Corporation: Auditor General's Report to Parliament (Volume 7): The Audit Offce of NSW. Retrieved from http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/publications/reports/financial/2010/vol07/pdf/19_sydney_water_corporation.PDFGoogle Scholar
Thomas, I. (2004). Sustainability in tertiary curricula: what is stopping it happening? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5(1), 33–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilbury, D., Stevenson, R.B., Fien, J., & Schreuder, D. (Eds) (2002). Education and Sustainability Responding to the Global Challenge, Gland: IUCN.Google Scholar
United Nations (1992) Promoting Education, Public Awareness & Training. In United Nations, Earth Summit Agenda 21 The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio 10, Section IV, Chapter 36. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/res_agenda21_36.shtmlGoogle Scholar
Waste Management Association Australia (2006). National Waste Educators Needs. Retrieved from http://www.wmaa.asn.au/uploads/documents/Summary%20of%20the%20WMAA%20National%20Waste%20Educators%20Survey%202006.pdfGoogle Scholar
Waste Management Association Australia (2009). Review of Educators in Environmental Areas Professional Development Short Courses 2009. Unpublished.Google Scholar
Weeks, A. (1954). Happy Little Vegemites [song]. Retrieved from http://alldownunder.com/australian-music-songs/happy-little-vegemites.htmGoogle Scholar