Fundisa for Change
Strengthening Education for Sustainable Development and environmental learning through teacher education.
The Fundisa for Change programme is a multi-stakeholder collaborative initiative which seeks to support transformative environmental learning through teacher professional development. The programme showcases the important relationships between teacher education institutions (universities), Government institutions, parastatals, major NGO partners working on Education for Sustainable Development and the teachers themselves.
Like many national curricula around the world, South Africa's Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) are rich in 'environment and sustainability' content. Indeed, all the subjects address aspects of sustainability. However, teaching about the environment can be challenging as the issues are complex and much environmental information is new to teachers. The Fundisa for Change programme therefore introduces teacher educators and teachers to relevant knowledge, teaching methods and assessment practices that will enable them to teach the existing environmental content in the CAPS more confidently and successfully.
GreenMatter, a founding partner of Fundisa for Change, continues to provide strategic support to the programme and currently implements a climate change teacher education project under the Fundisa banner of programmes.
Keep it Cool Climate Change Teacher Education Programme
In 2019, GreenMatter, VVOB, and Fundisa for Change launched the "Keep It Cool" Climate Change Education project, funded by the Government of Flanders. The project aimed to use the education sector as a key tool in fostering a more climate-resilient society in South Africa. Over 200 teachers from 100 schools in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape participated in courses on teaching climate change in Geography and Natural Sciences, facilitated by partner universities. Schools implemented various climate change projects, including food gardens, recycling, and tree planting, with more than 130 initiatives documented. The project also created a digital library with over 400 climate education resources.
Due to its success, the second phase, KIC 2.0, was launched in 2024, continuing to support teachers and school leaders in the same provinces. The focus has shifted to teaching climate change through Life Orientation, training District Officials in the DBE to capacitate Teacher Professional Learning Communities through online courses coupled with practical action. The goal of this phase is to develop a scalable approach to climate change education and expand its reach to other districts and provinces.
“Who dares toTEACH must never cease to LEARN”
-John Cotton Dana