Sequel to the ‘celebrating 'four' PhD graduates in 2013 - part one’ article, the entire Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Rhodes University community of practice is proud to present to you her newest and outstanding ‘Dr’s in the house’. Their significant contributions to environmental learning and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including remarkable comments from their examiners are as follows:...read more

The prestigious Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Rhodes University is proud to announce the graduation of her four PhD scholars this year (2013). Namely: Dr Clayton Zazu, Dr Charles Chikunda, Dr Ingrid Joan Schudel and Dr Dylan Kenneth McGarry. Look out for details of their important contributions to environmental learning and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in a follow-up article. Including a glimpse of their graduation ceremony....read more

CATHSSETA (Culture Arts Tourism Hospitality Sport Sector Education and Training Authority), in conjunction with GreenMatterza (the engine for growing BioDiversity skills and developing the right people at the right time for the green economy) is providing the means and platform to support a university-based research programme in HCD (Human Capital Development) for BioDiversity sector. ...read more

The Faculty of Education is currently advertising the 2013-2014 Masters degrees programme. These include masters in environmental education, masters in geography education, and masters in science education. All three degree programmes address issues of educational quality and relevance, within a wider vision which critically probes the role of education in contributing to just and sustainable societies. The degrees foreground theoretical and practical knowledge of Environmental, Science and Geography Education; while also addressing wider education and learning questions in society such as: education and inequality; education and access to learning; and education for sustainable futures. ...read more

The building of the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), an important, significant and timely university-community facility at Rhodes University (RU) was officially opened today 13th September, 2012. The meeting commenced with a welcome address by the Director of the centre, a rear gem and the ‘golden girl of the Rhodes University’, who has held the Murray and Robert Chair of Environmental Education at Rhodes University since 1990, Prof Heila Lotz-Sisitka. In her address she acknowledged the presence and impact of people who have made the centre what it is today, without which the ELRC would have been nameless.

The ELRC was developed as a partnership between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs (DEDEA), Makana Municipality and Rhodes University, with funding that was channelled through the South African National Biodiversity Institute as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), in order to develop the Makana Botanical Gardens and link it to the education activities in the university and community.
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The Umthathi Training Project, located in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape has a new Director in the person of Mumsie Gumede who took over from Marlene Mitchener this year. Today, Friday 7th September, the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC) staff members and postgraduate students, including the representatives of the SADC REEP, and the 2012 RU/SADC REEP Alumni made a grand visit to the Umthathi Training Project to joyfully welcome the new Director....read more

As the second week RU/SADC ESD Leadership alumni course 2012 ends, the class had a fantastic time with Michelle Craig, who came to ELRC from WESSA to facilitate a workshop in which waste cardboards were used to make earrings , necklaces and bracelets. In a space of 15 minutes on the minimal, participants were engaged in the activity/demonstration as Michelle unrolled the interesting hands on activity in paper crafts. She works for WESSA in the department of Education and finance and whenever an opportunity avails itself, she said “I get my self involved in learning more crafts skills in order to share more ... and I also do embroidery, chokers, crocheting and knitting, skills which I learnt when I was five....read more

From Tuesday 11th to Friday 14th of September 2012, Rhodes University, Grahamstown will be hosting about 350 anticipated delegates registered for the 2012 Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) conference. Over 100 papers and workshops are slated to be presented and this 30th conference promises to be the best. Conference presenters have already received the draft programme for the conference, guidelines for their presentations, including the map of the conference venue....read more

A PhD Scholar and Rhodes University staff member, Mr Charles Chikunda, attended the 3rd International ISCAR Summer University (SU) in Moscow, Russia between July 2nd to 7th, 2012. This is an annual event that brings together 24 PhD students from different regions of the world, disciplines, socio-cultural contexts and age groups....read more

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Environmental Education Programme (REEP) commenced today the 27th of August, her yearly Rhodes University/SADC International Certificate in Environment and Sustainability Education Course at Rhodes University, South Africa. This year’s course is slated to take place for two weeks, ending on the 14th of September and the overall theme is “Leadership for Environmental and Sustainability Education in SADC.”...read more