Rethinking sustainability: community, country & knowledge beyond the economy

Communities are not only made up of people, but the places in which we live and the ecologies of which we are a part. Our collective capacity to flourish is influenced by the sharing of knowledge, whether in spaces of formal and community education, informal learning settings, in cities or rural towns, or on Country.

UC's Centre for Sustainable Communities invites the community to an insightful, practical and free full-day event to learn about practices and approaches that enhance the social, cultural, economic, and environmental futures of communities and how these can apply in your own work or personal life. You'll hear from researchers working with communities on a range of interesting and impactful projects at local, regional and international scales, participate in thought-provoking discussions and workshops, and contribute your knowledge to the community we bring together and help shape our researchers' work in the future. 

There will different sessions to choose over the course of the day to tailor this experience to your interests (check out the full programme below) and an optional networking function from 5pm. Catering will also be provided!

Speakers: Session presenters and facilitators are academic staff members at the University of Canberra, either members of the Centre for Sustainable Communities Research Centre or the University of Canberra Research for Development Network.

Accessibility: this venue is accessible, please advise at checkout if you require any specific adjustments.

Catering: morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided and will include options for various dietary preferences (GF, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, nut free, other). Please share any dietary requirements at checkout or via email csc-admin@canberra.edu.au. 

Parking: public parking is available opposite the venue on University Drive South. Staff will distribute parking vouchers to guests at check-in to cover the cost of parking for the day. 

Detailed programme:

9:00am: Registration (tea and coffee provided)

9:15am: Welcome addresses:

• Associate Professor Will Brehm, Centre for Sustainable Communities (CSC) Deputy Director
• Professor Janine Deakin, Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise
• Professor Barney Dalgarno, Executive Dean Faculty of Education

9:30am: International project summary: Supporting the development of sustainable communities in the Asia-Pacific (Associate Professor Deborah Hill)

10:00am: Choose your workshop

• Farmer-led research for sustainable futures (Dr Sandra Heaney-Mustafa)
• Using history and political economy to strengthen education systems (Associate Professor Will Brehm)

10:25am: Choose your workshop

• Developing community knowledges through Family Farm Teams (Professor Barbara Pamphilon)
• Strengthening community economies for sustainable futures (Dr Ann Hill & Professor Katharine McKinnon)
  

10:50am: Choose your workshop

• Developing multilingual communication tools for the Family Farm Teams program: implications for policy makers (Associate Professor Deborah Hill)
• University of Canberra Research for Development Network (Associate Professor Leonie Pearson & Dr Jane Alver)
  

11:15am: Morning tea (provided)

11:45am: National project summary: Enhancing community sustainability in and beyond Australian classrooms (Professor Philip Roberts)

12:15pm: Choose your workshop

• The role of community food networks in sustaining communities (Dr Ann Hill & Dr Rachael Walshe)
  
• Developing community capacity through post school transitions and inclusive curriculum (Dr Jenny Dean)
  

12:40pm: Choose your workshop:

• Reinvigorating Country as Teacher: a pathway to ecological balance (Monty Nixon)
• Leadership in times of crisis and change (Dr Bernard Brown)

1:05pm: Lunch (provided)

2:05pm: Choose your session:

• Education for rural-regional sustainability (Professor Philip Roberts)
• Preventing youth harm through curriculum and community programs (Dr Michael Davies)
  

2:30pm: Choose your session:

• Sustaining professional learning communities to transform education (Sally Rule & Professor Ting Wang)
• Enhancing health and physical education for community wellbeing – the ‘missing pieces’ (Associate Professor John Williams)
  

2:55pm: Choose your session:

• Why handwriting & keyboarding matters for young children’s futures? (Professor Deborah Pino-Pasternak)
• Transformative culturally responsive pedagogy: celebrating the strength of diversity (Dr Margie Appel)
  

3:20pm: Afternoon tea (provided)

3:50pm: Facilitated Group Discussion: What are the key issues, opportunities and challenges impacting the future of communities that need to be addressed in future research?
(Facilitator: Professor Philip Roberts)

4:50pm: Session close

5:00pm: Optional networking session

6:30pm: Event close

This event is hosted by UC's Centre for Sustainable Communities (CSC) as part of Research Festival 2024. The CSC is based in the Faculty of Education and leads innovative educational research focused on community sustainability. The Centre co-designs research with communities to foster socially and ecologically just futures, achieving social, cultural, and economic impacts that align with community needs. Recognising that social change, equity, and community wellbeing intersect with education and local knowledge, CSC’s interdisciplinary approach addresses challenges to ensure sustainable, just outcomes for communities. 

Get involved with Research Festival and explore the full program on our website.