Manitoba Education

June, 2007

 

Dear Colleagues:

Re: Education for Sustainable Development Grant

On behalf of Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, I am pleased to provide you with information about the Education for Sustainable Development Grant and details regarding changes to the management of grant funding.

The intent of the ESD grant is to support schools/school divisions in their efforts to incorporate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into all aspects of school division and school activities, operations, and programming. The aim of the grant is to encourage division-wide and/or school-based activity that works to:

• ensure that school policies, programs and operations support ESD
• promote ESD through formal (curriculum) and non-formal learning
• support educators in their efforts to incorporate sustainable development themes into their teaching
• ensure that adequate tools, materials, and learning resources for ESD are accessible in school divisions/schools
• strengthen cooperative efforts in ESD, particularly student and community engagement

We are aware that school divisions/schools in Manitoba have already undertaken a wide range of ESD activity and have forged many partnerships with academia, organizations, industry, non-profit groups and communities to move ESD forward in a strategic manner. It is our hope that the continuation of the grant program will offer both recognition and support of the creative and collaborative efforts that school divisions/districts and educators have made in Manitoba.

Starting in the 2007 – 2008 school year, school divisions/districts will no longer be required to apply for the ESD grants. Instead, the grant will be managed in the same manner as a number of existing categorical grants such as the Student Services Grant, Early Numeracy Initiative, Middle Years Experiential Grant and others. Each school division/district will automatically receive ESD funding up to $700 per school in their jurisdiction. These funds can be used in a variety of ways, through division-wide and/or school-based initiatives, to support the objectives of the ESD grant.

Under these new arrangements, the reporting process for the ESD grants will become part of the Revised Categorical Grant/Divisional and School Plan Reporting Process. Information regarding this process was mailed to school divisions in February, 2007 and was also the focus of regional orientation sessions held at various locations around the province in April, 2007.

I encourage you to visit the Grants in Education page and related links on the Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth website for further information about ESD and other grant initiatives.

I am pleased that Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth, through the Education for Sustainable Development Grant, can contribute to your efforts to promote practices and learning for a sustainable future.

Sincerely,

 

cc. School Principals