News about YEEC - the Youth Congress, Toulcův dvůr and PILKA Center of Environmental Education and more panel sessions

The Youth Environmental Education Congress (YEEC) is organized as a side Event of the 11th WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CONGRESS (WEEC) in Prague, Czech Republic.

The YEEC brings together active youths from across the world to inspire and support one another alongside experiencing an engaging 5-day programme. Working together, young people will deliver a message on youth needs and environmental education at the #weec; they will discuss it with leading world educators and key actors in environmental education.

"The YEEC is a unique #Event driven by young people who are changing the world by being active within civic and environmental challenges and pursuing the enhancement of their education and steps for a long-term future."

The YEEC is organised by the Centre of Environmental Education SEVER (Czech Republic) with support of the #weec Network and #weec Programme and Organising Committee, Czech Ministry of Environment, Brontosaurus Movement, the Foundation for Environmental Education, and Erasmus+.

More information about the YEEC, participants, registration and fees.

Chairs: Andreas Ch. Hadjichambis (ENEC CYCERE), Ralph Hansmann (ETH Zürich) 

Education for Environmental Citizenship empowers citizens to practise their environmental rights and duties, as well as to identify the underlying structural causes of environmental problems, develop the willingness and competencies for critical and active engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes and act individually and collectively within democratic means, considering inter- and intra-generational justice.

Therefore, civic engagement, civic participation, democratic action, as well as social and environmental change through environmental actions are integral parts of the education for environmental citizenship. More information about the Education for Environmental Citizenship session and abstract submissions

Chairs: Julie M. Davis (Queensland University of Technology), Kateřina Jančaříková (Charles University), Sue Elliott (University of New England), Eva Arlemalm-Hagser (Mälardalen University)

The Early Childhood Education: The Foundation of ESD session invites all educators and researchers interested in topics such as:

Learning and teaching of young children in the changing and challenging landscapes of the 21st century

The challenging of taken-for-granted beliefs and practices in ECE in relation to environmental and sustainability issues and topics

Presenting what "best" and "next" practice/strategies, tools or programs might look like in EC ESD/ECEfS/ECEE. More topics and information about the Early Childhood Education session and abstract submissions.

Chairs: Michael Paulsen (University of Southern Denmark), Sean Blenkinsop (Simon Frazer University)

The aim of the session Environmental Education in the Anthropocene is to discuss the pedagogical challenges and potentials of the Anthropocene epoch. Growing up today means entering a world of global warming, decreasing biodiversity, break downs of ecological systems and spreading of viruses like COVID-19. The role of education and schooling cannot be to support structures and habits that underlie, maintain, and sustain these challenges.

How should we as educators and theorists rethink and redo ourselves as human beings, our relations to more-than-human life, on this planet, our practices and theories of education, and our understanding of the capacities and values of this life?
More information about the Environmental Education in the Anthropocene session and abstract submissions.

Chairs: Mutizwa Mukute, Rhodes University & Zdenka Chocholouskova, University of West Bohemia

Environmental education (EE) in non-formal settings or non-formal EE is also called adult education, community education, second-change education or lifelong learning. The bigger goal of non-formal EE in the Anthropocene is to develop and implement sustainability and more just solutions through learning in, about and for the wellness of the environment and human beings. Despite its intentions to foster the seeing and valuing of ecological, social, cultural, political and economic interconnections, non-formal EE encounters polarisations in practice. Some of these polarisations are between different ways of knowing, environmental activism, social justice, and environmental ethics and justice based on variations in philosophical, political and #educational theory orientations.
More about the EE in Non-Formal Settings and abstract submissions.

Toulcův dvůr is the largest environmental education centre in Prague. 
It is located on a 10 hectare farming estate that dates back to 1362 and includes farmland with livestock, an orchard and several natural habitats. Four NGOs provide a wide range of environmental education activities including:programs for schools,pastime/leisure clubs for children and parents,nature kindergarten and teacher training.

Take part in the field sessions organized by Toulcův dvůr!

Animal farming in environmental education and animal welfare concerns – What is the effect of direct contact between children and animals? Does livestock have a role in environmental education and what are the relevant animal welfare concerns? How do we develop programs that include domestic animals?

Folk traditions and traditional crafts in environmental education – Traditional crafts are a popular topic of environmental education programs in countries like the Czech Republic. How traditions contribute to environmental education? Is it just dreaming about an unreal past or a cornerstone of a sustainable future? Are traditional craft programs in opposition to 21st-century technologies and why do we cherish them?

More information about Toulcův dvůr.
More information about WEEC field sessions.

Lipka is one of the largest environmental education institutions in the Czech Republic. It runs 5 facilities providing one-day programmes, residential courses and adult education. Its clients range from pre-schoolers to high-school teachers, professionals as well as the general public. Summer camps and non-formal education clubs are an important part of Lipka's scope of activities.

 Take part in the field session organized by LIPKA:

Learning by Nature – The field session will be looking at the outdoors as a way to understanding, perception and appraisal the environment. In particular, we will explore different aspects of outdoor education within formal environmental education and methodology for outdoor education. The field session has also a social dimension – the participants will be staying overnight and socializing at Jezírko residential centre located near Brno. A visit to Brno historical centre is planned for Friday morning (18th March).

More information about LIPKA.
More information about WEEC field sessions.