Education in Preparation for Transition Opportunities in Totnes & District
| Education in Preparation for Transition Opportunities in Totnes & District | ||
|---|---|---|
| Educational Establishment | Already doing... | Some Next Steps? |
| Primary Schools (there are 12 within Totnes and District) | Some have gardens, grow vegetables, plants trees, have bird tables, teach outside, learn about climate change and the environment, separate waste, make compost, actively encourage children to walk or cycle to school, organise Walking Buses, involving parents in activities. Some have the healthy school award and focus on provision of nutritious local food as part of food provision. Some have worked on the Eco Schools and Sustainable Schools award. Some are involved in the global curriculum. Some are involved with TTT’s Transition Tales. | Retrofitting of classrooms, visits to sustainability initiatives, gardening training for every student, installation of renewables, following the food cycle from sowing seeds to eating meals, involve more parents, more personal development and reflection, smaller classes. Establish a Transition Team within and across Totnes schools to develop ideas and projects that they then manage. Link up all current sustainability projects and initiatives into the story of transition. |
| South Devon Steiner School | Excellent vegetable garden, food production and other land-based skills central to the curriculum, cooking taught, transport plan encouraging cycling, walking and shared community transport. Story telling tradition. Has a sustainability committee (staff + students), teaches about climate change, have a vegetable garden and Forest School area, have hosted lectures about transition and TTT, Transition Tales sessions run for all Year 7 students. Are involved in H.S.A and Sustainable schools award. | |
| King Edward VI Community College, (KEVICC) Totnes | Has a sustainability committee (staff + students), teaches about climate change, have a vegetable garden and Forest School area, have hosted lectures about transition and TTT, Transition Tales sessions run for all Year 7 students. Are involved in H.S.A and Sustainable schools award. | A food production plan for the whole site, zero carbon energy systems, high level of specification for local materials in new classroom buildings, agroforestry plantings, a GCSE in Transition studies. Work with primary schools as part of the Transition Team. Link up all relevant educational activities into a holistic approach. |
| The Mansion House, Totnes. | Courses for some practical skills for transition such as crafts (sewing, basket-making, weaving). | Could host a range of evening classes and daytime trainings on all practical aspects of Transition e.g. repair, maintenance, simple design & construction as well as developing awareness and understanding of the broader issues [see TTT below]. Could start using an outdoor classroom. Could create a model urban food garden and teach others how to do the same. |
| Dartington Schumacher College | Has a global reputation, hosts lectures and runs a wide selection of courses offering transformative learning for deep and holistic engagement with sustainable living. Residential students at the college spend time working in the forest garden as well as cooking and studying together. Very few students are drawn from the local community. | Schumacher TV, an online TV station, courses within the town, open evenings for local organisations. Develop an online forum for discussion and ideas sharing. Initiate practical courses and continue to develop site as exemplar agroforestry/permaculture site. |
| TTT’s Transition Together | Teams of neighbours learn about issues and take a series of practical actions to make the transition in their own homes. | Could be delivered far more widely across the community, be promoted by workplaces and institutions. Link Transition together with schools and establish a family in transition offshoot. |
| A thriving community sector, with individuals and groups organising and promoting their own courses or programmes | Many opportunities for all age groups to learn and get involved, however most rely on volunteers to support newcomers and activities. Examples include: Wildwise, Sharpham Estate, Friends of the Earth, Dartington Trust, Moor Trees, Landmatters, RAISE, DARE, Eden Project etc. | Groups link up from time to time to discuss long term objectives that they can be involved in working towards as separate groups and collectively. They look at the strategic educational needs of society that can be addressed through practical and conceptual projects. |
| Transition Town Totnes | Talks, trainings, the Beginners Gardening course, Skilling Up for Powerdown evening class, offers trainings such as the ‘Weaving Magic’ course for those involved in Transition. | Link with Mansion House to establish a menu of options Link with all other groups that are offering educational courses and training to promote power-down thinking and objectives in their programmes. |
| Totnes Library | Has a Transition section with a group set of the Transition Handbook and hosts book groups. | Likely to be relocated to a larger premises; could host adult creative writers groups on the theme of transition. |
| 3rd Level Courses; e.g. Plymouth University, Exeter University, Open University, | Offer a wide range of 3rd level and post-graduate study courses that are directly relevant to understanding and contributing to the debate about Peak Oil and Climate Change. Bringing this into the public domain via television (e.g. Prof. Iain Stewart’s series about the evidence for Climate Change in Autumn 2008). Also in-house conferences on Sustainable Development. | In-house development of Universities in Transition. The ethos of the University as an identifiable community taking on the challenge of transition. More links with local (50 mile radius) community and key players to nurture transition in the wider community through both shorter 3rd level courses and public events on transition topics. |
| Devon County Education Dept. & Devon Education for Sustainability Working Group (DESWG) | Various programmes, seminars and conferences targeted at various groups e.g. Education for Sustainable Development South West Conference. Nov ‘08. | More of the same, in particular looking at peak oil and concepts of local resilience. |
| BBC Educational programmes | A wide range of excellent programmes and screening of films e.g. The Future of farming by Rebecca Hoskins. | More of the same especially programmes & films about peak oil and local resilience. Also programmes targeted at younger audiences that schools could use as discussion points. |
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