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January 2015 Newsletter Updates
GPSEN connects diverse organizations across the greater Portland region
in a collaborative network that multiplies our collective capacity
to educate for a more sustainable future.

GPSEN News

It is always wonderful when there are more programs and resources to share, in our region and beyond.

One highlight is a visit in February from Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair on ESD and Adviser to the RCEs of the Americas.  We will be hosting a number of events and meetings, including a Talking Circle on ethics for a sustainable future.  Details below.

Plus, big news!  Given our growing network and commitment to supporting the power of collaboration in educating for a more sustainable future, we are taking the leap to become an independent organization.  We hope this will support facilitation of educational efforts in our region, as a multi-sector network.  Keep an eye out for upcoming details.  If you would like to be a part of the process, please let us know!

We also worked on our 2015 calendar, highlighting partner events and GPSEN projects. To make sure that your events are included on the annual calendar, please take a few minutes to complete our calendar survey.

Finally, on an international level, if you are interested in checking out the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals, a new global consultation on the draft report, “Indicators and a Monitoring Framework for the SDGs" has been launched. The draft incorporates comments from hundreds of organizations and has been prepared in consultation with the UN Statistics Division. The new consultation will run from January 16-31. They seek expert input to improve the framework, fill gaps, and consider the widest possible evidence. Please submit all comments via their web form.

If you have events, workshops, conferences, and/or resources
that you would like included in the GPSEN newsletter and calendar, submit your details
via our submission form by the 25th of the month for the following month's newsletter.
If you have questions, please contact news.gpsen@gmail.com. 

For the most current news and updates,
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Contents

GPSEN Events

 

Ethics for A Sustainable Future Talking Circle
Thursday, February 5
3:00- 5:30 pm 
Performing Arts Center Lobby
PCC Sylvania Campus
12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219

What ethics are necessary to perpetuate life on Earth?  Perceiving Earth and all her inhabitants as living systems helps us explore this core question.  Join Dr. Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair in ESD and Adviser to the RCEs of the Americas, and other illustrious community leaders, in a Talking Circle to explore how these ethics and principles can be best embodied to create a sustainable future.

This modified fishbowl model will have concentric circles, with members of the audience in the Outer Circles invited to listen and then ask questions of members of the Talking Circle.  Please let us know if you would like to participate in the Talking Circle or would like to suggest someone who you think best embodies these ethics.  And, please invite folks who you think would benefit from engaging in the Outer Circle.

Sponsored by GPSEN, the Ethical Future Institute, Earth and Spirit Council, and Portland Community College.
 


Community Events



Electronic Recycling
Friday, January 23, 8:00 am-1:30 pm
Saturday, January 24, 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Clark County Skills Center
12200 Northeast 28th Street, Vancouver,WA 98662

Acceptable E-waste includes: •Monitors •Cell Phones •Laptops•Speakers •Desktop PC’s• Keyboards/Mice.  Not accepting TV’s or Appliances.


Regional Active Transportation Forum
Tuesday, January 27
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Portland State University's Native American Cultural Center

Attend The Intertwine Alliance's Regional Active Transportation Forum "How We Get There Matters" to dive deeper into our region’s most pressing active transportation issues, and look forward to ongoing discussions on these topics. The forum will focus on the importance of walking and bicycling projects, and their role in supporting larger regional strategies. Contribute to a discussion that could guide and influence future investments in transportation.

Sponsored by Metro, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and Portland State University's Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation, the event is FREE and open to Intertwine Alliance partners and the public.  Read more or register today.


“Outdoor School for All" Campaign Kickoff
Friday, January 30
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
World Forestry Center
4033 SW Canyon Rd. Portland, OR 97221

Fun activities for children and adults, food from local vendors and stories from some of Oregon's
most passionate Outdoor School supporters. "Outdoor School For All" is a statewide campaign to secure permanent public funding to send every Oregon fifth- or sixth-grader to a full week of Outdoor School or a comparable outdoor, science-based education experience.

The Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition is a broad, diverse and bipartisan statewide group consisting of educators, business people, and tribal and community leaders collaborating to secure funding for outdoor school for all Oregon students. We seek to engage Oregonians who are interested in learning more about outdoor school and new policies that support statewide outdoor education programs and place-based, hands-on learning. Our long-term vision is to ensure that every Oregon student has the knowledge and perspectives to make responsible choices about Oregon’s nature and natural resources. 

For more information: http://www.oregonoutdoored.org


Upcoming Nature Events

Don't miss out on the many opportunities to explore natural areas in greater Portland area.  We certainly are blessed with an abundance of beauty in our region.

Workshops & Conferences

 

NWEI Course Organizer Training Webinar
Thursday, January 22, 2015
11:00 am PST


Do you want to make real progress toward a more sustainable world? Do you want to access a support network of like-minded peers who, together, can make a just and sustainable community a reality? Organizing a Northwest Earth Institute discussion course is a great way to begin!

NW Earth Institute discussion courses give people a framework to talk about their relationship with the planet and to share in discovering new ways to live, work, create and consume. If you’re feeling inspired to organize a course and would like to gain tools and strategies for success, engaging in our Course Organizer training webinar will provide extra support and tips for you, including a question and answer period with NWEI staff and access to helpful tools, including a detailed with a Course Organizer's Guide.


City Repair's 2015 Village Building Convergence Placemaking Materials
Applications are due January 22, 2015

It's time to start planning your Village Building Convergence (VBC) placemaking projects. From street murals and cob benches to community gardens, VBC projects make neighborhoods, schools, and businesses gathering places. Check out City Repair's handy VBC Toolkit, which includes information about City Repair, the VBC, permaculture, plast VBC design ideas, and a VBC 15 Placemaking Program overview.


Sixth Annual Earth Care Summit
Saturday, January 24, Reception and Climate Arts, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Pre-event Seminar, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. and Earth Care Summit, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland

The Sixth Annual Earth Care Summit, sponsored by the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and the University of Portland and others, will explore how climate change affects physical and mental health, agriculture and biodiversity, our social and economic well-being, and our culture and faith, while looking at current, equitable solutions.  

Registration and more info is online at www.emoregon.org or call 503-221-1054


Sustainable Disaster Preparedness
Saturday, January 31
10:00 am- 1:00 pm
Portland Community College SE, Tabor 138


Emergency preparedness, community resilience and long-term sustainability are the same thing on different timelines. Taught by Jeremy O'Leary, we'll discuss four challenges our society may be facing and how we can prepare in a tangible, effective, sustainable manner.

Tuition: $29.  To Register



Curriculum for the Bioregion: Fostering an Ethic of Place
Saturday, February 7, 2015
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

Sponsored by the Washington Center, “Fostering an Ethic of Place” will build on ten years of Curriculum for the Bioregion work situating sustainability studies in the places we actually inhabit. We will explore ways that community-based learning and research can lead to deeper community- and civic-engagement on the part of both students and campuses.

The conference is designed specifically for small higher education-teams (which can include faculty, staff, students, and community partners) who want to plan a new project or further develop an existing one. Campuses are invited to bring one or two teams (up to 8 people per campus) who want to create a new project or deepen an existing one; individuals are also welcome to attend. The registration fee for the day (including refreshments and lunch) is $60/person. Registration forms and information are available at: http://bioregion.evergreen.edu.


Art of Participatory Leadership 
February 11-13th, 2015
Lewis and Clark College

This workshop is part of the international Art of Hosting movement that is working to move forward participatory leadership skills and practices. We're finding that many leaders are seeking tools and strategies that bring out the best in our communities and foster deeper collaboration. We'll focus on how to create effective meetings and practices for working better together amidst times of rapid change and complexity. 

Early bird specials and group discounts are available.  For more details and to register, check out our website.


Agent of Change Sustainable Leadership Training
Five Mondays - February 23March 2, 9, 16, and April 13
6:00 to 7:45 p.m.
Downtown Portland

What is your vision for your community? What is your vision for change?  Take the no-cost Agent of Change Sustainable Leadership Training and learn how to make your vision a reality. Create Earth-conscious change within your community and make a visible impact in the movement to forge a sustainable local culture.

Join the growing network of over 950 Portlanders who have completed the How to Be an Agent of Change training, which was developed by veteran change agents Jeanne and Dick Roy.* This sustainable leadership training imparts a proven framework for advancing sustainability or ecological awareness in a chosen “circle of influence” (workplace, neighborhood, school, etc.).

There is no charge for the class, but advance registration is required. For information or to reserve your space, contact Erica DeJong at 503-227-2315 or erica@earthleaders.org. Learn more about the Center: www.earthleaders.org.


The Economics of Happiness Conference
February 27 - March 1
The Eliot Center
1011 SW 12th Avenue, Portland

Be part of a world-changing conversation. Join leading thinkers and activists from around the world to explore strategies for effective action.The world needs a linked-up global-to local movement. Through our international network we are able to bring voices and perspectives from the global south to counter the pervasive myths about development and economic growth. In promoting the ‘Economics of Happiness’ – describing the deep psychological benefits of strengthening local communities – we also link the ‘inner’, or spiritual with the ‘outer’, or political.

Our holistic approach helps to bring together people concerned with a whole range of issues - from climate and unemployment to gas fracking and depression. Spelling out the big picture can help create a broad coalition for fundamental change.
 
To learn more and register, check out the conference site.


2015 Oregon Environmental Education Conference
March 18-21, 2015
YMCA Camp Collins
Gresham, Oregon

Save the date!  More details coming soon for this popular conference, with hands-on, interactive, and relevant presentations and workshops.  For more information,contact conference coordinator Kim Silva at 503-257-1774.

Resources

U.S. Department of Education Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows
Applications are due January 20, 2015

Applications for the Department’s 2015-16 Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows are now available. Green schools educators and administrators are invited to apply.  Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows spend one year learning about key federal programs and policies, sharing their expertise with federal staff members, and providing background on federal initiatives to other educators. Positions are paid and available on a full and part-time basis for one year. Applications must be received by January 20.


Confluence Americorps 5th Annual Request for Proposal
RFP begins January 29, 2015

Do you have a compelling environmental project idea? Does your project embrace equity and social justice? Would an eleven-month AmeriCorps Member help you advance your project?  If yes, mark your calendar!
*January 29 – RFP will begin and we invite you to apply! NEW applicants welcome to attend one of the following information sessions:
*February 5 – Info Session 1 from 2:30 - 4:30pm at  TaborSpace
*February 12 – Info Session 2 from 2:30 - 4:30pm at TaborSpace
*March 19 Proposals due
 
For more information, contact Lara Jones at 
ljones@confluencecenter.org or visit www.confluencecenter.org under “AmeriCorps Program”.
 

Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant
Applications are due February 9, 2015  
 
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has posted a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants at www.grants.gov. Public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofits, tribal entities, and for-profit developers are eligible to apply. Applications must present a plan to revitalize a severely distressed public and/or HUD-assisted multifamily housing project located in a distressed neighborhood into a viable, mixed-income community. 

Find the full application package at www.grants.gov. Click on Search Grants. The CFDA number is 14.889. For additional information.


A People's Curriculum for the Earth

Five years in the making, A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is a collection of articles, role plays, simulations, stories, poems, and graphics to help breathe life into teaching about the environmental crisis. The book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Schools magazine alongside classroom-friendly readings on climate change, energy, water, food, and pollution—as well as on people who are working to make things better. 

At a time when it’s becoming increasingly obvious that life on Earth is at risk, here is a resource that helps students see what’s wrong and imagine solutions.


New Solutions Toolkit Cultivating Sustainability Within an Organization

The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI)'s Quick Guide for Cultivating Sustainability Within an Organization is designed to provide insights for how corporations demonstrate and communicate the value of sustainability and activate internal resources to achieve sustainability objectives,” said GEMI’s Chair, Lori Williams, Business Strategy Principal. “One of the most important factors for establishing a successful sustainability program is ensuring employees understand, embrace and pursue approaches that foster a productive and thriving organization built on long-term business processes that promote economic development, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”


Environmental Education Association of Oregon

More jobs, internships, grants, and resources are available at EEAO's website.

Share your news with the GPSEN community via our submission form
 by the 25th of the month for the following month's newsletter.
If you have questions, please contact news.gpsen@gmail.com. 


Check out our website to become a member, make the RCE Engagement Pledge,
or find out more information about GPSEN.
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