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We’re delighted to share news of Learning for Sustainability Scotland’s (also known as RCE Scotland) success at the international 2024 UN University-recognised Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) in Education for Sustainable Development Awards.

Established in 2012, the RCE Awards celebrate projects and programmes on ESD across the Global RCE Network; honouring RCEs who have made outstanding contributions to address local sustainable development challenges in their regions. The Award recognises projects and programmes that bridge local and global perspectives on sustainable development, those that engage with transformative learning and research, and initiatives that contribute to community engagement, research & development and capacity development of stakeholders and partners.

The winners of the 2024 RCE Awards include projects aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, covering various themes. A separate category for youth-led projects was also included to recognize the initiatives of young people. Recipients were awarded across three categories: (1) Outstanding Flagship Project, (2) Acknowledged Flagship Project, and (3) Honourable Mention.

Read on to find out more…

1. OUTSTANDING FLAGSHIP PROJECT (NON-YOUTH LED) ‘Supporting climate action by young people: ‘The Schools’ Climate Negotiation Simulation’

For two years, this negotiation simulation event has enabled young people to come together ahead of the international UN Climate Conferences COP28 and COP29 to experience first-hand the complexities of international climate negotiations. Delivered in partnership with the University of Edinburgh and British Council. it has now brought together over 150 pupils aged 16-18 from schools across across the City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, and East Ayrshire. Role-playing as world leaders, UN Secretaries-General, journalists, activists, and lobbyists, students have the opportunity to find out what it’s really like to negotiate a climate deal; working with cutting-edge climate modelling software developed by MIT to simulate the real-world impact of their decisions.

This year, delegates heard from Acting Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero, Gillian Martin MSP, and were supported in their negotiations by Prof Pete Higgins, former Director of LfS Scotland, and Jennifer Salmon, Earth Fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh Earth Initiative. By the end of the debate, pupils collectively agreed to keep global warming under 1.9°C – just over the target of 1.5°C – but made headway with strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support developing and vulnerable nations, and develop adaptation measures to protect planet and people. Read more about the event here.

This was one of a series of similar events coordinated by the British Council in four cities across the UK and in Baku, Azerbaijan. Video footage and interviews with students, teaching staff and organisers were incorporated into our ‘Live at COP29’ Massive Open Online Course (MOOC); which has now attracted over 4,500 participants worldwide. This course will remain open as a legacy resource until COP30 in November 2025.

2. ACKNOWLEDGED FLAGSHIP PROJECT (NON-YOUTH LED): ‘Bringing the STEM Curriculum to life: learning for a sustainable world‘

This professional learning, which ran from October 2023 – February 2024, supported primary, secondary and ASN teachers and early years practitioners to weave together STEM, Learning for Sustainability and Developing the Young Workforce activity across their practice and the wider life of their learning communities.

Funded by Education Scotland and Scottish Government to support the national STEM Education and Training Strategy – and originally developed in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway Council and North Ayrshire Council – LfS Scotland successfully delivered this four-module course for educators from October 2022-February 2023. 

In Phase 2, from October-February 2024, the course was offered to educators from across the nine local authorities in the South East and South West Education Improvement Collaboratives.

Core elements of this blended programme included an on-going opportunity for participants to develop, share, evaluate and reflect on a unit of STEM-related learning with their own learners; as well as fortnightly online learning modules for participants to complete at a pace that suited them. Regular ‘real-time’ online discussion spaces; facilitated by the course organisers, provided a warmly-welcomed space for participants to network with one another, share ideas, and ask questions.

Feedback from participants was very positive. Here are two examples of what participants said:

“Courses like this are invaluable to not only provide confidence for staff in education to carry out LfS activities or embed within their teaching and learning but as a refresher for those of us who are already confident as it’s a great way to network too.”

“I have a much deeper understanding of what Learning for Sustainability actually is. Feel comforted that a lot of learning I currently lead is actually included in Learning for Sustainability – I just didn’t realise it”.

The power of partnership! Our warmest thanks goes to…

As Scotland’s national RCE, ‘Learning for Sustainability Scotland’ is a growing network of educators, practitioners and key partners; all working together to embed learning for sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into all that we do. We work across sectors, across all types of education, across the length and breadth of Scotland -and with frequent collaboration with partners in the rest of the UK and across the world.

This Award success would not have happened without the dedication and input of the organisations and members with whom we partnered on these initiatives, and our warmest thanks goes to them all:

For the Schools’ Climate Negotiation Simulation:

British Council, University of Edinburgh, Scottish Government, Balerno High School, Boroughmuir High School, Broughton High School, Currie Community High School, Grange Academy, James Gillespie’s High School, Liberton High School, Peebles High School, Portobello High School, Tynecastle High School, St Thomas of Aquin’s High School, St Margaret’s Academy, West Calder High School, Professor Pete Higgins, and Ms Jenny Salmon.

For ‘Bringing the STEM Curriculum to life: learning for a sustainable world’:

Education Scotland’s STEM team, Scottish Government, Mary Collacott, Dumfries & Galloway Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Lothian Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Midlothian Council, North Ayrshire Council, Scottish Borders Council, South Ayrshire Council, and West Lothian Council,