When: March 26, 2002

Where: Metro Central YMCA
20 Grosvenor St.
Toronto, Ontario

You are invited . . .

Learning for a Sustainable Future - Ontario cordially invites you to participate in a two day Institute, Creating a Sustainable GTA: Linking Education to Action. This Institute brings together students, educators, community, business and government leaders, politicians from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to heighten awareness of local sustainability issues, encourage community involvement, and empower students to take action on issues of community sustainability.

Decades of growth have brought about significant changes to the GTA's economic, cultural and natural landscapes. The GTA is now home to over 5 million people and growing. While our quality of life has consistently been ranked amongst the highest in the world, we are now seeing problems with our current path. These problems range from traffic congestion to affordable housing, from smog to crime, from contaminated drinking water to child poverty, from climate change to aboriginal priorities. If we are to maintain our quality of life, we need to change our path to one that is more "sustainable".

A sustainable future is one in which economic prosperity, social justice and protection of the natural environment are pursued simultaneously to secure good health and enhance well-being for all people, now and for generations to come.

A sustainable future for the GTA will depend on the contributions of:

Business and industry, who recognize that economic, social and environmental sustainability must be calculated together to determine the real bottom line;
Government, to ensure that the "common good" is protected for all people, and that people have a share in the decisions that affect their lives;
Communities, who are discovering their power to effect change;
Education, to identify and foster the development of the knowledge, skills and values needed for a sustainable future in the 21st century; and
Students - who have a critical role to play in influencing decisions, and taking action through local projects, meeting the curriculum expectations of the geography, civics and science curriculum Grades 9 - 12, and/or completing their required 40 hours of community service.
This conference will:

Provide knowledge and understanding of sustainability issues in the GTA;
Encourage thinking and inquiry about planning for the future;
Teach skills for effective community action project planning and implementation;
Showcase sustainable community success stories and tools; and
Provide a forum for students to develop actual community-based projects with the support of local community, business and government partners.

Who should attend?

Teachers, administrators, trainers, and curriculum co-ordinators*
Parents and members of school councils
Senior elementary and high school students*
School board trustees
University and college students
Faculty of universities and community colleges
Community and environmental leaders
Politicians and government officials
Local business leaders
* School teams should consist of up to 2 teachers/administrators and five students.
Resources provided:

"Success story" case studies
Sustainability web sites
Community sustainability action tools and skills
A Teacher's Kit including resource materials and classroom activities to support the new Ontario curriculum
Community service placement opportunities for secondary students
Local funding resources for projects
A moderated electronic conference on the LSF WebKF site to support on-going information sharing and discussion
Registration Fee:
$50.00 - per person (by February 8, 2002)
$60.00 - per person (after February 8, 2002)
$20.00 - discounted rate for students and non-waged persons

These costs cover both days. Subsidies may be available -- contact us for more information.

Our Partners
This Institute is being delivered in partnership with the Toronto Environmental Alliance, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School board, York Region District School Board, Peel District School Board, Durham District School Board, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, the City of Toronto, the York Centre for Applied Sustainability, CIELAP, Sustainable Toronto, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, DuPont Canada, CH2M Hill, the New Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Laidlaw Foundation.

>>Agenda and Registration Form Below<<

Agenda

Day 1: February 26, 2002

8:30 a.m. Registration, visit displays and network

9:00 a.m. Session A: Understanding Sustainability- Plenary
‥ Welcome from Learning for a Sustainable Future, Ontario
‥ Welcome from Toronto Environmental Alliance
‥ Keynote address: Lois Corbett, Lead Consultant, Lura Consulting
‥ What is sustainability? -David Bell, Director, York Centre for Applied Sustainability
‥ Hands-on activity - Measuring your ecological footprint

10:15 a.m. Energy Break, visit displays and network

10:30 a.m. Session B: Success Story and Skill Building Workshops
‥ In small groups students, community, business and government participants share success stories on local sustainability issues and action skills including: force field analysis, media analysis, youth leadership, conflict resolution, interview skills, etc. Up to 20 different workshops will be delivered by representatives from local community organizations, business, and government.
‥ Teachers will attend a separate workshop which will provide tools, techniques and curriculum resources to support the development and implementation of action projects in the community. - Delivered by MJ Barrett, Learning for a Sustainable Future-Ontario

11:30 a.m. Session C: Showcase of Community Resources
‥ In plenary, business, government and community participants will share the expertise and resources they can offer for action projects.

12:00 a.m. Lunch - Keynote Address: Jack Layton, Chair of the City of Toronto Sustainability Roundtable and Sustainability Advocate for the City of Toronto, and President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities

1:00 p.m. Session D: More Success Story and Skill Building Workshops
‥ More success story and skill building workshops for students, community, business and government
‥ Teacher workshop continues

2:00 p.m. Session E: More Success Story and Skill Building Workshops
‥ More success story and skill building workshops for students, community, business and government
‥ Teacher workshop continues

3:00 p.m. Energy Break, visit displays and network

3:15 p.m. Session F: Information sharing - Plenary
In plenary, school/community teams come back together to share what they have learned. Community/business/government participants provide support resources. Teams review checklist of tasks and deliverables to be undertaken over the following month.

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

Day 2: March 26, 2002

8:30 a.m. Registration, visit displays and network

9:00 a.m. Session A: Motivating Action - Plenary
‥ Welcome
‥ Keynote Address: Speaker to be confirmed
‥ Success Story Action Projects: A series of unique and inspiring action projects will be presented

10:30 a.m. Energy Break, visit displays and network

10:45 a.m. Session B: Problem Solving workshop
‥ In small groups, students, community, business and government participants will discuss barriers and opportunities for implementing projects

‥ Teacher workshop will discuss barriers and opportunities for implementing projects - Delivered by MJ Barret- Learning for a Sustainable Future-Ontario

11:3 0 a.m. Session C: Success story and skill building workshop
‥ In small groups students, community, business and government participants share success stories and develop action skills.

‥ Teachers workshop continues

12:30 noon Lunch, networking and visiting displays

1:30 p.m. Session D: Taking Action
In school-based action teams, participants undertake action project planning, answering
the following questions:
‥ What is the project?
‥ How will community, business and/or government partners be involved?
‥ What will students learn through this project?
‥ How will the environment, the economy and the community benefit?
‥ How will the project be delivered?-what, who, when, how & measuring success
‥ Next steps

3:00 p.m. Energy Break, visit displays and network

3:15 p.m. Session E: Sharing of Action Projects-Plenary
In plenary, school-based action project teams will present their projects.

3:45 p.m. Session F: Wrap Up and task setting

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

REGISTRATION FORM

Name: _____________________________

Affiliation: ______________________________

Title: ______________________________

Address: ______________________________

______________________________

Phone: ______________________________

Fax: ______________________________

E-Mail: ______________________________

Dietary Preferences: _________________________

Please register by February 8, 2002 for early bird rate

Please note that space is limited.

Please make cheques payable to:
Learning for a Sustainable Future
220 McLaughlin College
York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario M3J 1P3

For more information please contact
Elaine Rubinoff at
(416) 327-2032,
Fax: (416) 327-2197
or
e-mail address: rubinoff@yorku.ca

Participants are strongly encouraged to submit summaries of their local sustainability projects and are invited to set up a display featuring their project(s) at the Institute. Please submit the attached Sustainability Success Stories form when you register.

Sustainability Success Stories

Title of the Project:

Description of Project:

Curriculum Connections:

Grade Level(s):_________________________
Subject Area(s):_________________________
Strand/theme(s):_________________________

Contact Information:
Name:
Title:
Affiliation:
Address:

Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Web site:

Key Partners:
i.e. schools, business, community, local government, etc.