Five Domains of Education for Sustainable Development

As part of our Education for Sustainable Development Plan, the WSD has identified five key areas to guide the implementation of ESD in our division.

Governance

The WSD has structures in place to support the following governing areas in the implementation of ESD:

• Decision Making. The Winnipeg School Division ESD Committee has a broad base of district members, department members, administrators, consultants, and teachers to oversee the planning, monitoring, and reporting of sustainable development on an annual basis.
• Financing and Budget. The WSD uses progressive approaches to financial modelling and budgets to access grants/funds for projects/partnerships with various organizations and businesses. These approaches reflect both short and long term sustainability of the education system.
• Monitoring and Evaluation. The WSD uses mechanisms, like the Eco-Globe checklist, to measure the progress of ESD implementations.

• Curriculum. Students learn, develop, and practice an understanding of sustainable development through the integration of subjects across grade levels.
• Teaching. Teachers use inquiry, active learning, and problem-solving techniques to address local and global perspectives. All school staff use ESD resources to support and encourage ESD-oriented projects.
  ESD resources are available for:
  • Staff development;
  • Pedagogy to develop critical thinking;
  • Active citizenship;
  • Futuristic thinking;
  • Inquiry and active learning; and
  • Problem-solving in a local and global context.
• Learning. Both teachers and students participate in learning opportunities to develop an understanding of the social, environmental, and economical issues regarding sustainability and their interdependence. In addition, school staff create outdoor classrooms and environments for students to learn about sustainable practices.

• Knowledge;
• Systems thinking;
• Emotions;
• Ethics and values; and
• Actions.

Non-teaching staff build capacity through training to provide them with the knowledge and skills required to further the Division’s goals in sustainable development and ESD.

Senior and School Administration build capacity through demonstrating leadership in implementing ESD.

Facilities and Operations

The WSD continually strives to apply sustainability principles to all aspects of its operations including the design, construction, maintenance and renewal of its facility infrastructure. The following is a sampling of the WSD’s facility and operational sustainable development initiatives.

Energy and Water Reduction

 In early 2000, the WSD embarked on a new strategy which utilized an energy performance based contract model as the basis for improving the learning environment for students and reducing the WSD’s carbon footprint. Over a 10 year period, the WSD engaged the services of energy service companies to undertake a variety of facility modifications under the premise that the cost of the facility modifications would be fully recovered through reductions to the WSD’s utility costs. By the end of 2015, 60 facilities will have received a variety of energy and water reduction modifications under this energy performance contract model.

Since 2008, the WSD, with funding assistance from the Province of Manitoba and grants provided under Manitoba Hydro’s PowerSmart program has been upgrading its heating plants, roof and window assemblies to provide systems which will further reduce energy consumption and provide improved comfort for our students and staff.