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With guidance from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism warden,
Vilho Absalom, educators gain hands-on experiences that help to sharpen
their Education for Sustainable Development skills.
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as role-playing and arts-based education, smart boards and creative
outdoor learning sessions using everyday materials. By playing
themselves, the teachers learn how to use play with their learners; they
return home with new ideas and practical ways to implement these
ideas. Carris illustrates the process with one activity that the network
developed: "In our 'bucket game' the teacher gets the learners to
take buckets and collect different ecosystem components." He further
explains, "The teachers take many informative booklets and handouts
back with them, which they can refer to when they are back at their
schools." Even more importantly, they are now linked to a group of
teachers who have a common vision for educating young Namibians
about their environment.
do. Environmental education remains profoundly neglected in rural
Namibian schools.
More recently, Namibians have been innovating to reach young people
in new ways. In 2018 the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust
(NaDEET)won one of three international UNESCO-JapanPrizes for
Education on Sustainable Development, for teaching immersive, hands-
on sustainable living at their education centre in the NamibRand Nature
Reserve. In another initiative the Think Namibia campaign hosts an
online platform for young environmental activists and entrepreneurs.
Since 2014, EduVentures has operated the Ombombo ("Butterfiy")
mobile classroom, a modified truck which travels to schools across the
country, where it opens up into a fully equipped smart classroom that
allows us to offer a five-day, mixed-method conservation programme
with Internet, "bush cinema" and lab equipment.
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The EduVentures mobile classroom proJect struck an even deeper
chord than expected. As one of the teachers said: "We want the same
kind of education. Since I came here as a teacher, I have never really
had an opportunity to revive my knowledge. I am isolated from all the
other teachers - I am located here 1nthe middle of nowhere." Carris at
EduVentures responded to this and similar requests: "Why don't we set
LPa programme that targets the teachers? They spend the most time
with the learners at school, and have the biggest influence."
Teachers and conservancy members learn from Carris Kaapehi from
Edu Ventures in the Ombombo mobile classroom during a 3-day pilot
training session held in the George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana
Conservancies.
The new EduLink project was thus born in 2018, with support from
Solidaritatsdienst International (SODI) Berlin. Specialists from nine
d
Environmental Education Centres across Namibia were strategically
selected to serve all 14 regions of the country. They now form a
network to tailor conservation curricula for their regions and share
them with hundreds of teachers from various towns and villages. These
centres were already teaching learners on field trips: Why not teach
teachers as well, to take lessons and skills back to their classes, The
network brainstormed the most pressing issues facing Namibia, and
EduVentures helped develop teaching aids that renected these. Not
only does this strengthen bonds and learning among Namibia's distant
These teachers are learning from fine artist and educator, Hangula Werner,
about arts-based environmental education that combines art and the
Environmental Education Centres, 1tconnects rural teachers to the best environment in lessons that are interactive and fun. The workshop was
the system has to offer.
hosted at the Okatjikona Centre in Waterberg National Park.
Through Edulink, teachers can arrive at a participating centre and
experience - many for the first time - cutting-edge methods such
CONSERVATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN NAMIBIA 2019 45