RCE Grand Rapids-2011

Submitted by RCEdawn on Thu, 2011-09-15 00:00
1. Leadership, Vision and Objectives
1. Vision of your RCE: 
To create awareness, generate understanding and identify applications for sustainable development best practices and to implement and embed these ESD best practices in West Michigan.
2. Leadership structure
a. Administration: 
6
b. Transactional : 
3
c. Transformational : 
1
2. Social Network
3. Core partners: 
City of Grand Rapids
Grand Valley State University
Western Michigan University
Grand Rapids Community College
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids Public Schools
Wege Foundation
Kendall College of Art and Design
West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum
Calvin College
4. Cooperation and communication : 
Regular meetings of the Grand Rapids CSP are held where sustainable best practices are shared. Local newspapers and trade journals regularly cover sustainable development activities and initiatives. Conferences and websites provide information on specific areas including green and LEED building, local food production and sustainable agriculture.
5. Facilitating development
Connections / Partnership with
UN institutions
yes/no: 
No
Other international organizations
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
US Partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Other RCEs
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Through the UNU-RCE global conference calls
International experts
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Bob Willard, author of the Sustainability Advantage, and a Canadian familiar with RCE
Expert organizations at national, regional and global levels
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
US Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org); Business Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (www.bifma.org); the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (www.wmsbf.org); ICLEI (www.iclei.org)
6. Social network
a. Information network (exchanging information, e.g. building up a database for SD projects): 
2
b. Knowledge network (creating knowledge by collaboration, e.g. finding synergies between partners by experience exchange): 
4
c. Innovation network (creating innovation by co-creation and shared vision,e.g. investigating new solutions for challenges by f: 
4
3. Participation
7. Participation of actors : 
Interested organizations can join the Grand Rapids CSP through a variety of ways. Direct social networking and face-to-face meetings work best. Once an organization becomes an endorsing partner, they have the opportunity to join an ongoing work group in the local area based on their interests such as sustainable business, green and LEED building and construction, renewable energy, energy efficiency, education for sustainability etc.
8. Participation opportunities
a.Informational participation (people get informed about decisions and actions): 
2
b.Consultation participation (people are asked about their needs and opinions): 
7
c.Decision influencing participation (people are involved in decision making processes): 
1
4. Education & Learning
9. Educational activities : 
Lifelong learning is an important guiding principle in West Michigan. A life cycle approach to ESD ensures that our region can make sustainability visible.

Participation by the World Affairs Council in our community
10. Competences and capabilities : 
Environmental stewardship: our region borders the Great Lakes with 25% of the world's fresh water
Eco-lodging and tourism: Michigan Green Venue certified hotels and accommodations
Green and LEED building and construction: most LEED-certified buildings per capita
Sustainable manufacturing: furniture manufacturers and others striding toward lowered environmental impact
Connections / Partnership with
a. Access to quality basic education
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
West Michigan Strategic Alliance data through 2008 indicates an increase in the number of 16-19 year olds in school (improvement of basic education)
b. Training for different sectors of the society
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Strong educational presence for worker training in "green" sector jobs
c. Public awareness
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Seeds of Promise project provides direct opportunity for community involvement in activities to improve lifestyle
d. Reorientation of existing education
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Grand Valley State University has over 20 courses that contain sustainability-related material
12. Educational activities
a. Theory (communicating of ESD principles, strategies, examples): 
1
b. Discussion (knowledge exchange and mutual learning on ESD): 
7
c. Interactive & Multidimensional (Action oriented learning, e.g. workshops, intergenerational, interdisciplinary,…) : 
2
5. Research Integration
13. Research & Development (R&D): 
West Michigan is home to several important resources and business incubators which allow direct and indirect dissemination of ESD best practices.
14. Research partners : 
Following is a selected list of the ongoing research partners for CSP/RCE:
West Michigan chapter US Green Building Council
Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center at GVSU
Annis Water Research Institute at GVSU
Western Michigan Counseling Center
Wege Foundation
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids Community College
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative
Green Cities
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
15. Description of research
a. Disciplinary (focusing on one discipline of research, e.g. social aspects) : 
1
b. Interdisciplinary (taking interrelations between disciplines into account, e.g. economic effects on the environment and peopl: 
5
c. Transdisciplinary (involving affected people into your research activities, e.g. interviews with affected people): 
4
Tagging
Continent: 
Americas
Country: 
United States
Region: 
Americas
Type: 
Project Reports