United Nations Regional Centre for Expertise status

The following is an explanation of the function of an RCE taken from the UNU web site.

An RCE is a network of existing formal, non-formal and informal education organisations aiming to deliver education for sustainable development (ESD) to a regional/local community. RCEs aspire to achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014), by translating its global objectives into the context of the local/regional community in which it operates.RCEs and their network worldwide will constitute the "Global Learning Space for Sustainable Development".

This learning space will include international academies of science, institutions of higher education and policy makers, who will work together to develop the human resources base - educators, professionals and researchers - in developing countries, which is necessary to activate and sustain the application of science and technology for sustainable development. Activities of the Global Learning Space will involve curriculum development, northsouth networking, strategic planning in educational planning and policy, capacity building in problem-based scientific research, and learning and other programmes

1994 Regional Environmental Education Forum (REEF)

Early Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) activity in the East Midlands region developed out of the Regional Environmental Education Forum (REEF), a network established in 1994 under the auspices of the Government Office East Midlands and Derbyshire County Councils Local Agenda 21 activity.

2002 English Regions Network Sustainable Development Projects

In 2002, the Regional Assembly commissioned four Sustainable Development projects, one of which reviewed and evaluated the breadth and quality of education for sustainable development materials within schools (providing an immediate link between pre-16 learning and post 16 FEPS activities).

2003 Further Education Partnership for Sustainability (FEPs)

The Further Education Partnership for Sustainability represents a collaboration of East Midlands Further Education Colleges developing and promoting learning and skills for sustainable development. Closely related to the HEPS (Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability) model developed by Forum for the Future, the FEPs pilot project is supported via the Learning and Skills Council’s Standards Fund and began activities in 2002.

2003 East and West Midlands Cross-Regional ESD Forum

A collaboration between FEPs and the West Midlands ESD Forum, a series of meetings were held in March/April 2003 to explore the benefits of cross-regional approaches to ESD.

2003 National Developments

Launch of the DfES Sustainable Development Action Plan, which required the concomitant development of SD strategies in the post 16 sector (Learning and Skills Council From Here to Sustainability) and the Higher Education Sector (Higher Education Funding Council Sustainable Development Strategy).

2004 Regional Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Group

Formed at an inaugural meeting in March 2004 at Quorn Hall, Leicestershire, the Regional Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship group brought together ESD practitioners from the Schools, HE, FE, ACL, WBL and Youth sectors.

2005 East Midlands Centre of Expertise Group (RCE EM)

Following the launch of the UN Decade for ESD in the UK, a group of educational organisations met in Leicester on 13 December to discuss taking forward plans for an RCE in the East Midlands. 2006 Regional Education for Sustainable DevelopmentGroup (East Midlands) At the March/April meeting, it was agreed that the two groups be merged into a single body, and five working groups are currently taking forward actions in the following areas:

• Communications and web site
• Higher Education
• UN RCE proposal
• DfES Sustainable Schools
• Resources and funding