The greater Burlington region has been designated as a leader in sustainable development by the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Studies of Sustainability.
In an announcement Thursday, the University of Vermont said the Burlington area was designated as a Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.
The designation means Burlington will join 136 such centers nationally, and is one of only five in the United States, the UVM news release said.
Work done within the regions is aimed at bringing global objectives around sustainability “into the context of the local communities,” the announcement stated. The regions work to achieve goals set in UNESCO’s Global Action Programme for Sustainable Development.
Burlington is being recognized for its collaborative education in sustainability programs, including the UVM service learning partnerships with local schools, Shelburne Farms’ education program, the Sustainable Schools Project and more, the announcement said.
Being designated as one of the regional centers of expertise means the area can network with the other regional centers around the globe “…that are documenting promising practices in education for sustainability.”
UVM and Shelburne Farms are working together to create a Greater Burlington Regional Center of Expertise network of educators, non-governmental organizations, government, business leaders, students, faith groups and community members. There will be a launch celebration in early October at Shelburne Farms.
To find out more, email co-coordinator Tom Hudspeth at Thomas.Huspeth@uvm.edu or Megan Camp at mcamp@shelburnefarms.org.
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