RCE Salisbury

Date of RCE Acknowledgement:
December, 2019

Description of RCE and Geographic Region:
This RCE location, which will emphasise conflict prevention and creative problem solving, will help us network together, discover synergies, support one another’s efforts, and increase our collective efforts to ress the educational, environmental, ecological, and socio-cultural challenges in our region.
The City of Salisbury has long been the crossroads of the historic Delmarva Peninsula. With a population of some 30,000, it is the largest city on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and the fastest growing city in Maryland. Founded in 1732 and incorporated in 1854, Salisbury also is the county seat for Wicomico. The area offers the ideal mix of an urban centre, nestled within a scenic rural region, centrally located to major metropolitan areas.

Goals and Objective:
The long-term objectives are plans for roughly the next three to five years and the short-term objectives are for the next one to two years.
Goal 1: To build a network of individuals and organisations advancing sustainability education together
Long-term objective:
Collaboration with other RCE locations creating opportunities within the global RCE network to work on education for sustainable development (ESD)
Short-term objectives:
Stakeholders will have easy access to an array of ESD information and resources through our regional information on a web page
Stakeholders will regularly convene to discuss ESD-related issues either online or in person
Develop grants to help seed new collaborations and projects especially in regard to basic data needed to work on specific SDGs
Join other RCEs in SDG challenges to accelerate inter- and intra-sector innovation, ESD, and adoption of sustainable practices
Goal 2: To advance the education of the sustainable development goals (SDG) through training and delivery of conflict prevention and creative problem solving that ress potential challenges with the SDGs
Long-term objectives:
Facilitate Youth Network connections with business leaders and entrepreneurs for both curricular (e.g. class projects) and extra-curricular (e.g. internships) learning and mutual benefits of students and businesses
Create an SDG data hub to ensure quantitative and qualitative data is accessible and useful for regional sustainable development
If desired, to develop an RCE conference to continue expanding the network, exchanging critical information and research findings engaging collaborators
Short-term objectives:
Advance and implement sustainability training and conflict prevention and creative problem solving to ress sustainability challenges with institutions, nonprofits, and other stakeholders
To build a Youth Network that focuses on academic and professional development opportunities, including certificates and/or recognitions. The Salisbury University Green Fund will be used to support this network
Develop a virtual resource centre for RCE communications, directory of RCE members, projects, resources and opportunities (particularly around internships/fellowships and other employment), and educational resources/tools
Goal 3: To lead advocacy and awareness-raising efforts about the importance of educators and the essential role of ESD in achieving a sustainable future
Long-term objectives:
Facilitate regional activities that advance the awareness and support of ESD
Create a multi-media awareness campaign to share successes, such as collaborations and grants
Short-term objectives:
Create opportunities for public dialogue on ESD policies and issues
Empower local youth to create and execute ESD strategy through an RCE Youth Network
Goal 4: To reflect the true diversity of experience and perspectives of the local population, giving it reach and relevance across cultures locally and globally
Long-term objectives:
Establish Working Groups and Youth Working Groups ensuring diverse representation across sectors, and network facilitation training is provided for all
Partner to host Spanish-speaking (largest non-English language spoken in region) ESD events
Translate curricula to reach the region’s rapidly growing immigrant community
Establish a baseline of sustainability awareness in relevant diverse categories of civil society
Short-term objective:
Approach governance with the inclusion of diverse stakeholders, and focus on equity in balance of sector participation