EECOM

Plans & Policies

The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication

Strategic Plan — 2016-2020

The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) is Canada’s only national bilingual charitable network for environmental learning.

Vision: Canadians are environmentally literate, engaged in environmental stewardship, and contribute to a healthy and sustainable future for all.

Mission: The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) works strategically and collaboratively to advance environmental learning for all Canadians.

Goal 1: Effectively demonstrate and promote the value of environmental learning as essential.

Goal 2: Strengthen and expand a Canada-wide network for environmental learning.

Goal 3: Build capacity of environmental learning associations, organisations, and practitioners to engage Canadians.

Goal 4: Increase EECOM’s internal capacity.

Values: Our activities, programs, and initiatives are guided by the following guiding principles:

  • Environmental learning (EL) is multi-disciplinary, multi-regional, multi-cultural, and multi-sectoral, and engages the three education / learning sectors, defined as:
    • Formal (kindergarten through post-secondary and professional training);
    • Non-formal (non-governmental organizations; interpretive centres, parks, museums, science centres, botanical gardens, and zoos; cultural centres; community and faith groups; youth organisations; service clubs; health, consumer, environmental advocacy, and Indigenous organisations); and,
    • Informal (private sector, industry, corporate, and tourism; multiple levels of governments and agencies; artists, entrepreneurs, and volunteers; journalists, multi-media news, documentaries, and commercial entertainment; libraries and academic publishers).
  • EL is inclusive and champions diversity; empowers adults and youth alike; embraces lifelong learning; recognises the value and contribution of various currents in environmental education; and encourages the values of sustainability and social responsibility.
  • EL supports and promotes the Government of Canada’s Framework for Environmental Learning and Sustainability across the country, as well as the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. EECOM seeks to be inclusive of the many perspectives held by our members and other environmental educators, and recognizes that one approach to work in our field is through education for sustainable development.

EECOM acknowledges that the work of both our Board of Directors and our members occurs on Indigenous territories. EECOM is committed to honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC)’s Calls to Action. We are in the process of assessing EECOM’s policies and procedures in the context of the TRC’s Calls to Action and developing initiatives that respond to the Calls. EECOM will report on our progress online and at future meetings.