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Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research pp 145–160Cite as

Fostering Sustainable Communities and Resilient Cities Whilst Supporting ‘Life on Land’ Through a Colombian School’s Initiative

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Part of the World Sustainability Series book series (WSUSE)

Abstract

‘Quality education’ features in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in the United Nations declaration ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ (i.e. SDG 4). Furthermore, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can be interpreted as a thread that supports the potential achievement of all the other SDGs. For instance, schools based in cities could help making these more ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’ (i.e. SDG 11) whilst supporting ‘life on land’ (i.e. SDG 15) on the school grounds. This paper presents an environmental project, which aims to foster the integration of ESD in the curriculum through a tangible conservation and restoration initiative of some of the 70 ha of natural reserve in the Eastern hills of the city of Bogotá, Colombia. First, the paper describes the project and its links to urban ecosystems in the context of city resilience. Second, it analyses empirical data from the project evaluation, which evidences the development of pupils’ competencies and impacts beyond school activity. Finally, it presents the challenges faced by educators when adjusting curricula for ESD, followed by some recommendations for the future of the project. The purposes of the paper are: to provide insights to improve the project, to evidence the valuable pedagogic outcomes of this kind of initiatives for ESD and to inform and promote the development of similar projects in the region and beyond.

Keywords

  • Schools
  • Education for sustainable development
  • Urban ecosystem services
  • Competencies
  • Curriculum

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gimnasio Femenino, Bogotá, Colombia

    J. Figueroa Vélez

  2. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    V. Ruiz Vargas & A. Prowse

  3. Fundación Cerros de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia

    L. M. Hoyos

Authors
  1. J. Figueroa Vélez
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  2. V. Ruiz Vargas
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  3. L. M. Hoyos
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  4. A. Prowse
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Figueroa Vélez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Prof. Walter Leal Filho

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Figueroa Vélez, J., Ruiz Vargas, V., Hoyos, L.M., Prowse, A. (2018). Fostering Sustainable Communities and Resilient Cities Whilst Supporting ‘Life on Land’ Through a Colombian School’s Initiative. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63007-6_9

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