RCE Greater Western Sydney-2015

rce_proj_title_2013
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1. Project Title: 
Youth Eco Summit and 21st Century Learning Awards
2. Thematic area/s addressed by the project
Select your options: 
3. Project partner contact information : 
Organization: 
Sydney Olympic Park Authority
Role: 
Convenor and Organiser
Main Contact: 
Mr Mike Bartlett, Education Manager
4. Project type
Select the relevant type for your project: 
5. Project description
Provide a short description of the project including strategies, regional challenges, aims and specific project activities.: 

The Youth Eco Summit (YES) is an award-winning partnership between the University of Western Sydney, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and the NSW Department of Education and Communities under the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise in ESD for Greater Western Sydney (RCE-GWS) banner. YES is a unique two-day curriculum-based event designed to foster social change by encouraging students to adopt sustainable practices in all areas of life, to showcase practical initiatives and promote student leadership. YES includes hands-on workshops, seminars, displays and active learning projects for over 8,500 students and their teachers from 240 schools and links in 45 different service providers and educators. YES exemplifies the shift to a 21st Century model of education; one that ensures curriculum content and teaching pedagogies remain relevant and responsive to the rapidly changing social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges facing Australia and the broader global community. YES was recognized for a NSW Green Globe Award for Public Sector Sustainability in 2013. http://www.uws.edu.au/rcegws/rce


7. Provide references and reference materials : 
6. Project status
On Going
Description: 
Feedback from YES indicates:
• 90% that attend indicated they would continue to return to future summits
• More than 10,000 students connected virtually through live video conference from the event and the TVS documentary
• 90% of teachers observed improvements in student knowledge or understanding of sustainability issues after the event
• 77% of students had an enhanced motivation to implement sustainability practices as school and at home after the event
• 83% of teacher gained new ideas and resources for their curriculum after the event
• 70% implemented sustainability curriculum and practices at school after the event
• More than half felt more confident to teach sustainability at school now after the event
• Feedback from the event – Teacher: "I see this generation as the next leaders in the world... Students educated in that way are preparing our future"
• Feedback from the event – Student: "We have learned mostly about how we can do things to save the planet today"

In 2015 we introduced a YES 21st Century Learning REcognition Event modeled on RCE-SK. The event also had a peoples choice award sponsored by the NRMA which had some 15,000 votes. Please see:
http://www.mynrma.com.au/about/yes.htm

youtube:
Welcome to YES from NSW Environment Minister 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Lckl9GDOY
About YES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4wui8DAgPY
8. Tagging
Region: 
Asia-Pacific