Inclusive Approaches
This session is a Themed Panel. To view or request Digital Media from a Presenter click on their session titles. To view a delegate's CGScholar profile and/or add them as Peer, click on their name. To comment or ask a question, please use the Discussion Board.
Download the Delegate Pack full guide to using the CGScholar Event Microsite from the About tab.
Building Sustainability Leadership: A Pathway for Immigrant and Refugee Youth Development and Inclusion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lisha Shrestha, Eileen Muench Brennan, Jana L. Meinhold
The Youth Environment Leadership Program (YELP) was a pilot project supporting immigrant and refugee youth as they developed leadership skills and promoted practices fostering environmental sustainability and inclusion in their new community. Since youth faced complex challenges of living in new social, economic, and environmental situations, the objective of this participatory action research project was to engage immigrant and refugee youth, support their leadership skill development, and provide key community connections. Using social science principles, YELP training focused on empowering youth to navigate challenges through promoting environmental awareness, securing social support and mentoring, and building leadership skills. YELP enrolled 28 youth from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Pacific Islands, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Latinx community currently living in East Portland, Oregon. Using a train-the-trainer model, six youth became leaders and facilitated training for 22 additional youth participants. Youth leaders co-designed training materials in collaboration with City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services team. The year-long cohort-based program helped youth understand the concepts of environmental sustainability and conservation, and develop leadership and communication skills. YELP’s effectiveness was evaluated through pre-and post-surveys and analysis of transcripts of two dialogue sessions. We learned that youth understood the inter-dependency between society and the environment, and their roles and responsibilities in fostering a sustainable future. Youth were confident they could apply skills acquired through the training in everyday life. This study demonstrates that youth-centered learning pedagogy tailored for immigrant and refugee youth can aid them to be included in sustainability leadership in their communities and beyond.
Problem Based Learning, Social Sustainability, and Football as a Comprehensive Strategy for Reaching Out to Vulnerable Communities in Pandemic Times: A Case Study in Monterrey, Mexico View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Carlos Estuardo Aparicio-Moreno, Elfide Mariela Rivas Gómez
On Friday, 13 March 2020, academic and sport activities at a Mexican university were developed as a normal day. Nevertheless, the following Monday, students and teachers had to stay at home during an undefined period. In this work, we show how a course with the Problem Based Learning (PBL) and the Social Sustainability (SS) approaches was adapted to pandemic times. We make a theoretical overview on PBL, SS, Latin American self-produced quartiers, football in vulnerable communities, and general aspects about pandemic times. Afterwards, we review the methodology used for reaching out vulnerable communities in Monterrey City, Mexico, using association football, or soccer, as strategy. The students made a project together with a non-governmental organization (NGO) which its main task is to promote the football practice in vulnerable communities around the world.
KEKO - Transformative Education Concept on Sustainable Development
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sari Puustinen
The purpose of this paper is to present a concept of Sustainable Development education developed at the University of Turku, which works with excellent results and which can also be transferred or modified to other universities. Sustainable Development Studies (acronym: KEKO meaning “warren”) innovatively engages students of various disciplines into process of creating collective sustainability expertise, agency and deep collaborative skills. Its uniqueness lays in combining research-based learning with emotional commitment to sustainability. KEKO is a multidisciplinary minor (25 ECTS), the core of which is a one-year (10 ECTS) course. During the year, students from different disciplines work both independently in the teams and facilitated by the teachers. They are not given ready answers and solution models by the teachers but they are encouraged to independent thinking and shared expertise. The main pedagogical methods in the course are phenomenon-based learning as well as a flipped classroom. The KEKO consept is internationally benchmarked. In 2018, it was nominated Finland's representative to the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development.
