Waterford UNESCO Learning City welcomed delegates from across the island of Ireland for a landmark ‘Shared Island’ event focused on education for sustainable development (ESD).
The event forms part of the collaborative efforts of Southeast Technological University (SETU), Waterford City and County Council, and Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB), as the driving forces in developing Waterford as a UNESCO Learning City. Supporting partners from across the region included Buíon Phortláirge, Waterford Chamber, Kilkenny County Council, and the Southern Regional Assembly.
From the 9 to 11 February, representatives from the Irish Network of UNESCO Learning Cities, including Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Derry/Strabane, Limerick, and the Midlands, gathered in Waterford to explore how lifelong learning can drive climate action and social sustainability.
The ‘Shared Island’ initiative brings together experience from Ireland’s seven learning cities to create impact through ESD. As part of the gathering, representatives attended a mayoral reception at the historic Assembly House in Waterford City, followed by a visit to ‘The Parish’, Waterford’s inaugural UNESCO Learning Neighbourhood. At The Parish, delegates were given a resident-led tour showcasing how sustainable development can be pioneered at grassroots level.
Delegates also attended sessions on key topics related to ESD, including one on how sustainability can be embedded in learning, led by SETU lecturer, Juergen Bauer. Another session was a walking tour highlighting the sustainability efforts taking place within Waterford City centre highlighting the cultural quarter, local businesses, Waterford City library led by Gráinne Kennedy, Climate Action Coordinator of Waterford City and County Council in collaboration with Welcome Ambassadors from Waterford Volunteer Centre.
A key element of the two-day event was the World Café Workshop held at the SETU Arena. The workshop invited delegates to take part in peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities within the Irish Network of Learning Cities. Delegates left with practical ideas, shared learning and renewed partnerships to bring back to their own cities, ensuring the discussions in Waterford translate into tangible action across the network.
For more information contact [email protected] or visit waterfordlearningcity.ie