Overcoming traditional boundaries in advancing education for sustainable development

Abstract

Objectives of education for sustainable development (ESD) require interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to build and sustain momentum, activity, and research. The current study region is characterized by low population density, diverse geography, and extreme climate, requiring that significant challenges are recognized and overcome to respond to opportunities for developing and incorporating ESD in formal and informal educational environments. In response to these and other challenges, the citizens of Saskatchewan (SK) boast the highest per capita rate of volunteerism in Canada and a tradition of institutionalizing progressive social values. Here, we examine how ESD research in SK has been advanced through a multi-stakeholder network, incorporating volunteerism and progressivity. We analyze the establishment of RCE SK through grassroots discussion, its development, and its decentralized, collegial, and democratic structure which transcends barriers to ESD. The structure of RCE SK provides a basis for non-traditional collaboration, enabling novel interdisciplinary projects, research, educational opportunities, and community service. The model breaks down traditional boundaries and barriers in the region, specifically those associated with academic, community (urban/rural), and cultural divides. The multi-stakeholder, voluntary model enables broad organizational and public engagement, and new forms of scholarship that are reinforced by academic freedom, transparent processes, and broad participation. The outcomes and impacts of specific case studies highlight the ability of RCE SK to rapidly respond to emerging regional opportunities for ESD which require multiple partners.