OISE's Sustainability & Climate Action Plan

Vision

Minimize the environmental footprint and support the health and wellbeing of OISE’s community by bringing the lenses of Sustainability & Climate Action to the forefront of the building’s operations and procurement practices.

Actions and Strategies

1:  Develop campus partnerships to support Sustainability & Climate Action at OISE

• Investigate, establish and deepen opportunities for campus partnerships focused on embedding Sustainability & Climate Action in conjunction with OISE’s Space Planning, Facilities & Services team   (in progress)

2:  Establish baseline data and targets to minimize OISE’s environmental footprint

• Collect baseline data related to OISE’s environmental footprint (e.g. energy, water, waste, recycling, indoor air quality, etc.)   (in progress)
• Explore how to establish and work towards targets that minimize OISE’s environmental footprint   (in progress)

3:  Develop resources to support sustainable procurement practices at OISE

• Review procurement processes at OISE to identify opportunities for enhancing sustainability practices  (in progress)
• Develop a resource guide to support sustainable procurement practices at OISE

4:  Develop supports for sustainable transportation

• Monitor bike parking utilization at OISE and advocate for additional capacity as needed  (in progress)
• Establish an advisory committee to identify strategies to educate and encourage OISE students, staff and faculty to use sustainable forms of transportation for travelling to and from OISE 
• Identify ways that staff and faculty can minimize CO₂ emissions on OISE-related travel  (completed ✔)

5:  Amplify a culture of conservation at OISE

• Develop educational campaigns to support the OISE community in growing awareness and taking action on conservation practices 
• Deepen a culture of conservation at OISE in relation to the use of energy, water, and waste (in progress)

6:  Improve OISE spaces to support well-being

• Support the revitalization of the 5th floor patio to create new community space, a garden, and an Indigenous education and learning space   (in progress)
• Follow principles established by the OISE’s academic leadership and Space Planning Committee to foster the health and wellbeing of OISE community members   (in progress)

Vision

Broaden and deepen curricular and co-curricular learning centred on Sustainability & Climate Action at OISE to enhance education’s critical role in creating a more just, equitable and sustainable future.

Actions and Strategies

1:  Develop Community-Engaged Learning opportunities related to Sustainability & Climate Action for OISE students

• Conduct an inventory to identity how the SDGs and CEL (community-engaged learning) are being supported in OISE courses   (in progress)
• Encourage OISE’s academic departments to review course offerings to potentially expand course-based opportunities for real world, experiential learning (e.g., ‘Agent of Change’ learning) connected to Sustainability & Climate Action   (in progress)
• Increase opportunities for Community-Engaged Learning connected to Sustainability & Climate Action through course work, teaching practica and internships   (in progress)

2:  Support curricular innovation towards sustainability

• Infuse Sustainability & Climate Action into a variety of existing courses in each OISE department  (in progress)
• Explore new curricular pathways and programs for OISE students related to Sustainability & Climate Action (e.g. collaborative programs with the School of the Environment; etc.)  (in progress)
• Construct a community of practice to support the development of critical, transformative, culturally-responsive pedagogy in relation to Environmental & Sustainability Education   (in progress)
• Develop programming to support teachers’ professional learning related to Sustainability & Climate Action   (in progress)

3:  Expand professional learning opportunities for students

• Secure funding for paid professional learning opportunities for OISE students that develop knowledge and skills related to Sustainability & Climate Action (e.g. Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Work-Study Positions, etc.)    (in progress)
• Connect OISE students with educational partners for professional learning opportunities related to Sustainability & Climate Action    (in progress)

4:  Strengthen staff and faculty capacity in relation to Sustainability and Climate Action

• Provide professional learning opportunities identified by staff and faculty in their shift to sustainability  (in progress)
• Help to build understanding about climate justice, particularly in relation to Indigenous communities, Indigenous environmental practices and sovereignty  (in progress)
• Consider sustainability expertise as an asset in the hiring of new staff and faculty

Vision

Enrich OISE’s capacity for and mobilization of educational research related to Sustainability & Climate Action while raising awareness about the sustainable management of research projects.

Actions and Strategies

1:  Provide supports for OISE research in Sustainability & Climate Action

• Encourage OISE’s academic departments to review their capacity for educational research focused on Sustainability & Climate Action and pedadogy  (in process)
• Establish a new community hub that provides a supportive environment for transdisciplinary, participatory educational research into Sustainability & Climate Action  
• Initiate and support research partnerships related to Sustainability & Climate Action with educational partners across the university and in the community  (in process)

2:  Support knowledge mobilization of OISE research in Sustainability & Climate Action

• Mobilize Sustainability & Climate Action research in the OISE community and with its educational partners   (in process)
• Promote Sustainability & Climate Action research from OISE through publications, events, conferences, celebrations and social media  (in process)

3:  Take action to address the environmental impacts of educational research at OISE

• Raise awareness about the environmental impacts of research activities (e.g. research-related travel)   (in process)
• Advocate for Sustainability & Climate Action to be considered as part of the University of Toronto’s and the Tri-Council’s ethics applications for research studies
• Raise awareness about minimizing CO₂ emissions related to OISE research projects 

4:  Expand OISE’s capacity for educational research related to Sustainability & Climate Action

• Secure funding for graduate student involvement in research studies related to Sustainability & Climate Action (e.g. graduate and research assistant positions, work-study positions) (In progress)  (in process)
• Provide supports for a university-school board action research team related to Sustainability & Climate Action   (in process)
• Encourage the hiring of research-stream faculty at OISE to expand capacity for educational research related to Sustainability & Climate Action

Vision

Engage the OISE community and its partners in the collaborative development of Sustainability & Climate Action praxis to share through local and global outreach.

Actions and Strategies

1:  Improve communications about Sustainability & Climate Action across OISE

• Share ongoing information about events, curricular/co-curricular learning and resources related to Sustainability & Climate Action with students, staff, faculty and OISE partners   (in progress)
• Create an OISE Sustainability Guide to welcome students to OISE during Orientation by raising awareness about sustainability-related practices, courses, resources, and co-curricular learning (in progress)
• Develop an OISE Sustainability Guide for students, staff and faculty to raise awareness about sustainability & climate action practices, guidelines, and resources  (completed ✔)

2:   Deepen connections between OISE priorities and Sustainability & Climate Action

• Collaborate with the Dean’s Advisory Council on Indigenous Education (DACIE) to ensure that the voices of Indigenous staff, students and scholars are integral to Sustainability & Climate Action at OISE  (in progress)
• Develop and expand connections between Sustainability & Climate Action and the existing priorities of OISE’s Academic Plan (Indigenization, Equity, Diversity & Accessibility, Wellbeing & Mental Health, Transformative & Innovative Pedagogy, Scholarship, and Collaboration & Internationalization)   (in progress)
• Ensure that Sustainability & Climate Action reflects the diversity of the OISE community and its long-standing commitments to equity, anti-racism and inclusion   (in progress)

3:  Embed opportunities for community engagement in Sustainability & Climate Action across OISE

• Provide multiple access points for students, staff & faculty to become involved in Sustainability & Climate Action at OISE   (in progress)
• Host an annual event to share OISE’s ongoing progress on Sustainability & Climate Action   (in progress)

4:  Strengthen outreach related to Sustainability & Climate Action within and beyond the OISE community

• Build and leverage campus and community partnerships to support Sustainability & Climate Action at OISE   (in progress)
• Support and deepen the collaboration between OISE and the TDSB and other school boards to support Sustainability & Climate Action across the education sector   (in progress)
• Extend OISE’s impact on Sustainability & Climate Action with educational partners locally, regionally, nationally and globally  (in progress)