ANNOUNCEMENT: In November 2021, two HELC projects received RCE Awards from the United Nations University. We are proud that we now have three award-winning HELC projects! Scroll down to "HELC Projects" to see further details and read the news release here.
RCE Awards celebrate projects and programs on Education for Sustainable Development within the Global RCE Network, honoring RCEs who have made outstanding contributions to address local sustainable development challenges in their regions. The Award recognizes projects and programs that bridge local and global perspectives on sustainable development, those that engage with transformative learning and research, and initiatives that contribute to community engagement, research & development and capacity development of stakeholders and partners. Read More.
RCE Greater Atlanta is a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development acknowledged by the United Nations University, is a regional sustainability network that supports implementation of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals at the regional level through education and training. Brings together universities and colleges with nonprofit, community, government, and business partners.
Higher Education Learning Community (HELC) is an RCE Greater Atlanta action group that aims to facilitate faculty and research-active student engagement with the SDGs in a collective learning environment. Participants include faculty and research-active students from Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and the University of Georgia.
HELC aims to create a dynamic network of research and teaching faculty, practitioners, youth, and community partners in Greater Atlanta who work together to offer research seminars, symposia, curricular resources, teaching workshops, and a variety of publications to advance the SDGs in education, research, and service across campuses in the region as well as among the US (North American) higher education community as a whole.
HELC Projects
1) Sustainable Development Research Seminar Series
Leads:
Bruce Stiftel, bruce.stiftel@gatech.edu;
Michael Black, seawater@gsu.edu
See below for upcoming and past seminars.
2) Building Effective ESD in Higher Education through Multi-Institutional and Community Collaboration
Lead: Rebecca Watts Hull, rwattshull@gatech.edu
Read about the "Think Globally,Teach Locally" Workshop, Feb 19, 2020 here.
Read about the "Going Global: A Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Curriculum Design Workshop", Feb 23, and access related resources here.
Read about the Faculty Learning Community Teaching with the SDGs here.
Looking for help incorporating ESD into your teaching? Explore these resources developed through this RCE project and by member institutions:
Going Global Workshop Materials
ESD Faculty Learning Community Resources
UNESCO and Other Resources on SDG Integration in Higher Education
SLS Teaching Toolkit: U.N. SDGs
Community Science Collaboratory (official press release forthcoming): This project is a collaborative effort to design a sustainable model for long-term community science initiatives in Metropolitan Atlanta and link globally to build partnerships with like initiatives through the Global RCE Network—Regional Centers of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development. This initiative brings together six colleges/universities that are part of the RCE Greater Atlanta, six community-based organizations in Georgia, and two Global RCE Partners— the highly successful citizen science collaborations of the KwaZulu-Natal and Saskatchewan RCEs--to co-design ways to collaborate more effectively. This one-year project will result in a detailed plan and a major funding proposal to support a sustainable infrastructure for global collaborative science—the Community Science Collaboratory for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In November 2021, United Nations University recognized this three-pronged project supported through RCE HELC as well as the AGREC initiative housed within AGSC by an Award for "Acknowledged Flagship Project" on Education for Sustainable Development, SDG 4: Quality Education; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development. Read the news release here.
3) AGSC Symposium/RCE & RCE Youth Track
Lead: Sebnem Ozkan, sebnem.ozkan@gatech.edu; Mona Ray, Mona.Ray@morehouse.edu
This annual Symposium will takes place in April and features a day-long track or panels presented by RCE HELC, including a youth panel. For further information please visit the Symposium Webpage.
In February 2020, United Nations University recognized this HELC project by an Award for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development, Honorable Mention for SDG 4 Quality Education. Read the press release.
4) Annual EQUINOX: UN SDGs Symposium
Lead: Pegah Zamani, pzamani@kennesaw.edu
Equinox Website
In November 2021, United Nations University recognized this HELC project by an Award for "Acknowledged Flagship Project" on Education for Sustainable Development, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals; Thematic Category: Curriculum Development. Press release forthcoming.
Sustainable Development Research Seminar Series
* The open access research seminar videos are also available at Prof. Bruce Stiftel's Youtube channel. They are in a Playlist called RCE Greater Atlanta: and accessible from the Channel landing page.
Fall 2021
All talks will take place Fridays at 12 PM ET online at: https://bit.ly/3Ac3ULf
Friday, October 29 | 12-1:15 PM ET
rescheduled from Oct 15
"Taboo to Civic Actions: Engaging Taiwanese Youth in Environmental Controversial Issues Discussions"
Yun-Wen Chen, Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Instruction, Texas State University
Watch recording
Passcode: 7?VzrSn4
Friday, November 12 | 12-1:15 PM ET
"Rhizomatic Resistance: Environmental and Trans-Species Ethics in Feminist and LGBTQ Activism and Art"
Lauran Whitworth, Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Agnes Scott College
Watch recording
Passcode: 7V27=hC^
Friday, December 3 | 12-1:15 PM ET
“Sea Level Change in the Southeastern United States: Past, Present and Future”
Clark Alexander, Director and Professor, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia
Watch recording
Passcode: *P+2QU..
Spring 2021
Friday, January 22 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
Migration following Hurricane Michael: Evidence from the Consumer Credit Panel
Elora Raymond, Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Tech
Seminar recording
Friday, February 26 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
Alexander von Humboldt’s Proto-Ecological Thinking
Caroline Schaumann, Professor of German Studies, Emory University
To request access to the seminar recording, please contact Dr. Schaumann at cshaum@emory.edu.
Friday, March 19 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
Sustainable Construction Neighborhood: The way forward
Ali Keyvanfar, Assistant Professor of Construction Management, Kennesaw State University
Seminar recording
*Presented in conjunction with the 4th Annual EQUINOX Week at KSU: UN SDGs (March 15-19, 2021)
Fall 2020
Friday, November 20 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
The Politics of GM Crops and Agrochemical Exposure in Argentina
Pablo Lapegna, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology & Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, University of Georgia
Seminar recording
Friday, October 23 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
Taking Science to the Streets: Community Science and Participatory Approaches to Improve Environment, Health, and Quality of Life in Urban Areas
Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, Assistant Professor, Environmental and Health Sciences, Spelman College
Seminar recording
Friday, September 25 | 12:00 Noon - 1:15 pm
A Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) approach to advancing urban systems science
David M. Iwaniec, Assistant Professor, Urban Studies Institute, Georgia State University
Spring 2020
Friday, January 31 | 12:00 Noon - 1:30 pm
Theories for Sustainable Futures
Lance Gunderson, Professor and Chair, Environmental Sciences, Emory University
Atwood Center, Rm 360, 1515 Dickey Drive, Emory University
Contact:
RCE HELC Co-Leads:
Sebnem Ozkan (Atlanta Global Studies Center, Georgia Tech), sebnem.ozkan@gatech.edu
Michael Black (Neuroscience Institute and Urban Studies Institute, GSU), seawater@gsu.edu
Jairo Garcia (School of City & Regional Planning, Georgia Tech), jairo.garcia@design.gatech.edu
Spring 2021 HELC Monthly Meeting Calendar:
12-1 pm on Jan 13, Feb 10, Mar 10, Apr 14, May 12, June 9
Contact sebnem.ozkan@gatech.edu for the meeting URL
HELC participants include faculty and research-active students from Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and the University of Georgia. 
