SETU, WWETB, and Waterford City and County Council champion Education for Sustainable Development as UNESCO Learning City
This week, Waterford UNESCO Learning City welcomed delegates from across the island of Ireland for a landmark ‘Shared Island’ event focused on education for sustainable development (ESD).
The event forms part of the collaborative efforts of Southeast Technological University (SETU), Waterford City and County Council, and Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB), as the driving forces in developing Waterford as a UNESCO Learning City. Supporting partners from across the region included Buíon Phortláirge, Waterford Chamber, Kilkenny County Council, and the Southern Regional Assembly. From the 9 to 11 February, representatives from the Irish Network of UNESCO Learning Cities, including Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Derry/Strabane, Limerick, and the Midlands, gathered in Waterford to explore how lifelong learning can drive climate action and social sustainability.
Dr Helen Murphy, SETU’s Head of Faculty Education and Lifelong Learning and Co-chair of Waterford UNESCO Learning City, commented, “I am delighted to gather with our colleagues and partners for this collaborative effort to enhance Waterford as a Learning City. This network is enormously valuable to our region. By hosting this ‘Shared Island’ exchange, Waterford is reinforcing its commitment to a future where education and sustainability are inextricably linked.” “By ourselves, we can only achieve so much. But when communities, educators, employers, and local authorities pull in the same direction, momentum builds, confidence grows, and real progress becomes possible,” Dr Murphy added.
Cllr Adam Wyse, Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Waterford said, “For this event, we chose Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as our theme, to lead in an important conversation across our county and wider region. Waterford has a wealth of examples of sustainability in practice, and we are excited to be able to share our experiences and learnings with our partners and the wider community. We are committed to leading by example and showing the opportunities that lifelong learning can bring to enhance the wellbeing of both people and planet.”
Ian O’Gorman, Assistant Principal Officer for Climate Action and Sustainability at WWETB added that "while policies help begin impactful change around ESD, the important work also lies in the collective power of individuals moving in sync within our larger systems. This gathering allowed us to focus on the vital bridge between individual behaviour change and the systemic shifts already transforming our organizations."
The ‘Shared Island’ initiative brings together experience from Ireland’s seven learning cities to create impact through ESD. As part of the gathering, representatives attended a mayoral reception at the historic Assembly House in Waterford City, followed by a visit to ‘The Parish’, Waterford’s inaugural UNESCO Learning Neighbourhood. At The Parish, delegates were given a resident-led tour showcasing how sustainable development can be pioneered at grassroots level.
Delegates also attended sessions on key topics related to ESD, including one on how sustainability can be embedded in learning, led by SETU lecturer, Juergen Bauer. Another session was a walking tour highlighting the sustainability efforts taking place within Waterford City centre highlighting the cultural quarter, local businesses, Waterford City library led by Gráinne Kennedy, Climate Action Coordinator of Waterford City and County Council in collaboration with Welcome Ambassadors from Waterford Volunteer Centre. Delegates also attended sessions on key topics related to ESD, including embedding sustainability in learning, led by SETU lecturer Juergen Bauer. A second session featured a walking tour of Waterford city centre highlighting sustainability initiatives across the city, from the regeneration of historic buildings to the work of local businesses and Waterford City Library in advancing ESD. The tour was led by Gráinne Kennedy, Climate Action Coordinator with Waterford City and County Council, in collaboration with Welcome Ambassadors from Waterford Volunteer Centre.
A key element of the two-day event was the World Café Workshop held at the SETU Arena. The workshop invited delegates to take part in peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities within the Irish Network of Learning Cities. Delegates left with practical ideas, shared learning and renewed partnerships to bring back to their own cities, ensuring the discussions in Waterford translate into tangible action across the network.
For more information contact laura.power@setu.ie or visit waterfordlearningcity.ie
