The Tuscan Systemfor EnvironmentalEducation:

a model ofintegration and participation

The Region of Tuscany is working to consolidate a quality “system” of Environmental Education

whose primary objective iscontinuous improvement

to value the system’s complexity and plurality and to ensure cultural biodiversity and educational wealth

In Tuscany the sustainability of development has for many years been the transversal criterion that guides the elaboration of all regional policies and strategies.

Governance, integration, participation and collaboration

represent a firm decision of the regional policies and strategies

Environmental Education in Tuscany is…

permanent education

for an aware general public

for sustainable development

The integrated system for the right to lifelong learing is thereference scenario for environmental education:enviornmental education for everyone, for an entire lifetime as a strategic lever for realising government stategies and policiesfor environmental sustainability

The Directorate-General for training policies,

cultural heritage and activities

has drawn up

the framework of the Integrated Regional System for the right to lifelong learning, in which environmental education is inserted as a specialist segment – the process began with the approval of the Strategy Plan for the right to schooling and permanent education for the years 2001/2002 and the Integrated General Strategy Plan for education, instruction, guidance counselling, professional training and employment.

In April 2004 the Regional Council approved

the PRAA – Regional Environmental Action Plan 2004-2006

an innovative governmental instrument to promote, on behalf of the Directorate General for local policies, the principle of valuing local resources and reducing critical environmental problems, in an eco-efficient mindset.

The plan, which deals with information, education and communication, constitutes one of the instruments for the implementation of the strategic program plan for the interventions in the environmental field, with the goal of forming new comunities that are increasingly able to participate with responsability, awareness and critical vision in the ecological management of their territory.

The System DesignThe Tuscan scenario of EE is characterized by the presence of a plurality of institutional and non-institutional protagonsists, in continuous contact with one another The actorsRegions, Local Authorities, ARPAT, Local Health Authorities (ASL), other Public Agencies and Authorities, Private Associations and Foundations, Businesses and their Consortiums, Autonomous Educational Institutions, Universities, Libraries, Museums, Environmental Education Centres and Laboratories, Parks and Protected Areas…

Target audience school-age children adult population particular categories of the general public, such as businessmen/women, consumers, social decision-makers…

Institutional Coordination The Directorate-Generals for Territorial and Environmental Policies (PTA) and Training Policies, Cultural Heritage and Activities, with the technical support of ARPAT constitute the regional structural reference points for the Tuscan System of Enviornmental Education, and formulate the System’s policies and proposals, using the established governance instruments and organisms Pledge to support the integration of Environmental Education within their offices and in the various regional policies.

* On a Regional level the Resolution of the Regional Government 394/2004 indentifies the Committee of Institutional Coordination for Environmental Education and the Regional Council for Enviornmental Education.

Regions and Provinces consolidate the relationship they have built over the years, in an organic and egalitarian manner, in continuous contact, with the goal of strengthening and valuing the “local level” and sharing a cultural, social and economic reference framework, closely tied to the local institutional level.

Regional institutional level DGR 394/04

local insitutional level as the come “director’s seat" Province (Ambiente-PI and other departments available) - ARPAT - CSA with institutional duties of planning – strategising – coordination – monitoringIn close relationship to the local institutional level

TERRITORY AND LOCAL COMMUNITY (Conference of Mayors)

REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

OPERATIVE LEVELThe local nodes That are accredited with functions 3-4 and carry out activities of coordination, support, listening/proposing, documentation, research closely tied to the local programs

Simple subjectsThat can be accredited for one or more of the four functions

Relationships of the Tuscan Systemfor Environmental Education

REGION PROVINCESINTER-INSTITUTIONAL COLLECTIVE BODIES

Particular Relationships with “Information Systems”(Protected Areas, Agenda 21, Schools, Adult Education…)

Pact with the Territoryfor Local Planning

that is integrated & High-Quality

The Strategic Goals of the Tuscan System 

consolidate the system and create conditions that are stable, continuous and high-quality

implement quality local planning programs and their equilibrated diffusion through a “Pact with the territory for the planning and implementation of Environmental Education initiatives”

  

ACTIONS

On a local level

The Region of Tuscany has co-financed in 2003, 2004 and 2005 the realisation of territorial projects through competitions established and co-financed by the Provincial Administrations that have enabled the selection of educational projects according to quality criteria. These criteria have been defined on a Regional level through collaboration between the various parties involved and respond to the Tuscan environmental “needs” and follow the directions outlined by the Environmental Action Plan of the Region of Tuscany (PRAA)

  

ACTIONSOn a regional levelthe following priority actions have been identified and implemented:  QUALITY: determining criteria and methods for monitoring the regional system according to “Quality” principles; RESEARCH: defining in detail Regional research programs that could enrich and contribute to optimising the Regional system of Environmental Education in its complexity; TRAINING: organising training courses for system officers and Environmental Education operators.

Quality, research and training serve as educational experiences in continuous communication with one another.

  

Marco Polo describes a bridge stone by stone.But which stone supports the bridge?-asks Kublai Kan.

The bridge is not supported by one stone or another – Marco answers –But by the arched line that they form.

Kublai Kan remains silent while he reflects. Then he adds: why are you telling me about stones? I only care about the arch.

Polo answers: without stones you cannot have an arch.

Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities