Growing Innovative Approaches to Environmental and Sustainability Education in Teacher Education Programmes

Abstract

At the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), in Toronto, we have taken a multipronged approach to developing and delivering environmental and sustainability education (ESE) in our teacher education programmes since 2008. As one of Canada’s largest faculties of education, we believed that a clear presence for ESE would support the creation of a culture of sustainability across the institution. Yet, we faced a significant challenge: How could we best develop and support our preservice teachers’ capacities in ESE without core courses dedicated to it? The case study presented in this chapter tracks the ongoing development of OISE’s ESE Initiative that accomplished this goal through course-infused teaching, co-curricular programming, advocacy, research, and community partnerships. It documents our explorations in reaching and teaching hundreds of preservice teachers about ESE, as well as the unexpected and innovative ways we have moved closer to integrating sustainability across the institution. The ESE Initiative has not only helped us reduce our ecological footprints in terms of behavioural shifts and physical infrastructure improvements, but has also extended our environmental handprints (our positive impacts) into the wider university community. These developments and impacts are analysed in this chapter, as key strategies are identified that are helping us grow this work into the future.