Last updated: March 1, 2024

RCE Scotland

Photo Credit:
Rce details
Region:
EUROPE
Country:
United Kingdom
Overview
Date of RCE acknowledgement:
December, 2012
Description of RCE and Geographic Region:

Scotland has a long-standing commitment to ESD (learning for sustainability) involving all aspects of learning: formal (e.g. schools, colleges, universities), non-formal (e.g. youth, adult, community, business) and informal (e.g. home, leisure). The UN’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD 2005-14) catalysed activity in all sectors through Action Plans co-ordinated by the Scottish Government. As the Decade came to an end, the ESD community in Scotland considered that the establishment of a Scotland-wide Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) was the most appropriate way to continue the work of promoting and supporting the concept and practice of LfS in Scotland. Scotland has embraced the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015-30 and the work of the RCE contributes towards the Vision 2030+ Learning for Sustainability Action Plan and Scotland’s National Outcomes.

RCE Scotland is hosted by the University of Edinburgh and serves all levels of education and all relevant forms of community engagement in all parts of Scotland. It currently has more than 850 members (2020).

Goals and Objectives:

Vision: 
RCE Scotland’s vision is for Learning for Sustainability to infuse the whole of Scottish society, building our capacity to contribute to sustainability – locally, nationally and globally.

Goal:
Our goal is to work co-operatively to harness the transformative potential of Learning for Sustainability to support a sustainable world: where people and communities value and are engaged with the natural environment; societies are inclusive and equitable; and a vibrant economy contributes to flourishing ecosystems and social justice.

Objectives:
Learning for Sustainability Scotland works actively and co-operatively across all aspects of learning: formal (e.g. schools, colleges, universities); non-formal (e.g. youth, adult, community, business) and informal (e.g. home, leisure); to advance the understanding and practice of Learning for Sustainability in Scotland so it reaches its full transformative potential for change by:

  1. Identifying and sharing existing knowledge, expertise and lessons learned between Scotland's educators, institutions and communities
  2. Actively generating new knowledge and approaches to Learning for Sustainability through cooperative partnerships, projects, initiatives and research
  3. Undertaking monitoring, evaluating, international comparison and gap analysis of progress on Learning for Sustainability in Scotland
  4. Providing Learning for Sustainability advice to practitioners, policy- and decision-makers
  5. Sharing our learning internationally and providing a mechanism for members to learn from others around the world as part of the UNU RCE Network
  6. Ensuring the long-term future of Learning for Sustainability Scotland
Organisation Hosting RCE Secretariat:

University of Edinburgh

Key Partners:

Name of organisation: University of St Andrews
Role: Steering Group Chair
Contact name: Dr Rehema White
Contact email: rmw11@st-andrews.ac.uk

Name of organisation: Scottish Funding Council
Role: Steering Group Co Vice-Chair
Contact name: Dee Bird
Contact email: dbird@sfc.ac.uk

Name of organisation: Science Festival
Role: RCE Scotland Youth Co-ordinator and Co Vice Chair Steering Group
Contact name: Laura Curtis-Moss
Contact email: youth@lfsscotland.org

Name of organisation: Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET)
Role: Steering group member
Contact name: Sara Smith
Contact email: saras@rhass.org.uk

Name of organisation: Fife Council
Role: Steering group member
Contact name: Fritha Gilbert
Contact email: Fritha.Gilbert@fife.gov.uk

Name of organisation: Levenmouth Academy
Role: Steering group member
Contact name: Duncan Zuill
Contact email: Duncan.Zuill@fife.gov.uk

Name of organisation: Heriot Watt University
Role: Steering group member
Contact name: Ullrich Kockel
Contact email: u.kockel@hw.ac.uk

Name of organisation: Abetay University
Role: Steering group member
Contact name: Dr Andrew Samuel
Contact email: A.Samuel@Abertay.ac.uk

Name of organisation: University of Edinburgh
Role: Communications Task Group
Contact name: Sarah Ford-Hutchinson
Contact email: Sarah.Ford-Hutchinson@ed.ac.uk

Name of organisation: EAUC Scotland
Role: FE/HE Task Group
Contact name: Rebecca Petford
Contact email: rpetford@eauc.org.uk

 

Activities
Current Activities:
  • Website and monthly bulletin for members
  • SDGs Advocacy (with SDG Network and UK Stakeholders for sustainable Development)
  • Webinars and Conferences for schools
  • FE/HE, community and youth leaders
  • Task Groups (Connection to Nature; Community and SDGs; FE/HE)
  • Professional learning for teachers, teacher educators, college lecturers
Upcoming Activities:
  • Annual networking conference
  • SDGs Advocacy (with SDG Network and UK Stakeholders for sustainable Development)
  • Webinars and Conferences for schools. FE/HE, young people
  • Task Groups (Connection to Nature; Community and SDGs; FE/HE)
  • Professional learning for teachers, teacher educators, college lecturers
  • Whole school approaches action research in secondary schools, with other European RCEs
Achievements:
  • RCE Scotland Annual Reports can be found here
Communication Channels
RCE Website:
Instagram:
Twitter handle:
YouTube page:
Other(s):
Contact Details
Main RCE Contact:
Betsy King, Development Manager
betsyking@lfsscotland.org
Secondary RCE Contact:
Kirsten Leask, Project Manager
kirstenleask@lfsscotland.org
RCE Youth Coordinator(s):
Alyson MacKay, Operations Coordinator
General RCE email:
RCE mailing address for correspondence:

Learning for Sustainability Scotland
1.17 Charteris Land
Moray House School of Education
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH8 8AQ