Youth
In order to meet the challenges of providing high quality early childhood development, environmental management and stewardship within a local context, building capacity and supporting implementation are the key to success. Both formal and non-formal education play a major role in fostering sustainable lifestyles required in caring for our children and the environment.
This approach is supported by the Eco-Schools Programme, which aims to achieve sustainable environmental management by integrating the environment into the national education curriculum or ECD learning programmes. The Programme also strives to empower teachers and learners to implement environmental policies at the school level within a local context.
The approach is to start where the site and its staff are and to proceed step by step over a period of years in order to develop the site, its teachers and management. The Eco-Schools Programme is designed to meet the needs of the site and its community in any given context.
Short course
The short course in environmental education and ECD aims to work with persons in a site-based ECD context. Participants need to have a level 4 qualification in ECD, and/or a minimum of two years teaching experience with children aged 2–6 years.
A pilot course was conducted in 2007. The pilot phase will continue until 2010, when decisions will be made regarding accreditation and its regional, provincial and national roll out.
The course is presently not certified. Participants will receive an attendance certificate for attending the training sessions at least 90% of the time, submitting all workplace-based assignments and tasks, and completing compulsory readings.
The course contents include:
Module one: What is environment and a basic introduction to environmental education
Module two: Identifying and investigating local and global environmental issues and risks in an ECD context.
Module three: A quality ECD learning environment: what is this and how can we continue to improve our practices?
Module four: Environmental learning opportunities in the ECD learning programme and site. (This supports and includes the integration and utilisation of the National Curriculum)
Module five: Environmental learning resources – what are they, how does one access them and how can we use them?
Module six: Reflecting on our environmental learning and taking action after reflection.
The course is presented during seven non-consecutive days and should ideally run over a period of five months. It is designed to support the Eco-Schools Programme, therefore it is recommended that participants work at registered Eco-Schools. For more information on Eco-Schools, please visit www.wessa.co.za.
Sustainable harvesting skills
This Sustainable Harvesting Skills Programme has been developed around the "Harvest Natural Flora" primary unit standards.
All unit standards form part of the Plant Production Level 2 Qualification allowing the participants to further pursue this qualification. The training is a capacity-building and empowerment activity that contributes to the development of individuals while meeting the Trust’s project objectives for certification and social responsibility objectives of suppliers and Fynsa, the Trust’s commercial partner.
The Trust has a partnership arrangement with Fynsa to process and market harvested wild fynbos purchased from the suppliers. The training will assist suppliers to harvest sustainably and comply with CapeNature's Code of Practice for harvesting wild fynbos.