Environmental Education Catalyzed by Tourism: Ecoliteracy Initiatives on the Coast of Kenya

Nina Berman

doi:10.3390/su13158501

Abstract

The Diani-Ukunda area on the Kenyan coast is one of the main tourism centers of the country. Over time, individuals who originally visited the area as tourists have started sustainability initiatives that are in part funded through donor networks from abroad (drawing on individuals who visited the country initially as tourists). This essay explores select German initiatives in the educational sector that have emerged in the context of the area’s tourism industry. Diani Maendeleo Academy (a secondary school for girls) and the six primary and secondary schools known as Mekaela Academies collectively serve a significant portion of the population of the larger Diani-Ukunda area, including the hinterland extending widely into Kwale County. The study was designed to assess the schools’ approach toward sustainability and ecoliteracy, and centered on the following questions: 1. What kinds of sustainable practices are promoted in the select schools? 2. In what ways do students who attend these schools display environmental literacy? 3. Do these initiatives address UN SDGs, known as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? The study follows an interdisciplinary mixed method approach and is based on interviews, survey instruments, research on ecoliteracy and educational policy, and fieldwork data from previous stays. Findings reveal a lesser-known dimension of tourism: namely, the successful pursuit of ESD in schools thriving in the context of tourism through an integrated approach towards teaching ecoliteracy.

Highlights

In Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect, environmentalist and educator David W
The link between scientists and policymakers and the impact of organization culture have been acknowledged as crucial factors in implementing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policies [55,56]. These analyses show that the educational system may lag behind the ecoliteracy of the larger population
Mekaela Academies originate from the early 1990s

Summary

Introduction

In Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect, environmentalist and educator David W. While we have known about The Limits to Growth since 1972, not enough of the insights presented by scientists over the past 50 years have been included in the curricula of schools and universities, nor have they reached the awareness of the larger public. In order to better understand why so many Germans in Kenya are involved in sustainability education, a review of the German educational policy framework was conducted, assuming that it might have provided blueprint models for the Kenyan schools that were run and supported primarily by Germans. Summarize regarding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) [44]: Germany had already successfully advanced ESD in the context of the UN Decade ESD (Dannenberg and Grapentin 2016). Six expert forums consult the National Platform and developed a National Action Plan for early childhood education, school, vocational education and training, higher education, informal and non-formal learning/youth and local authorities [45] (p. 494)

Methods

Results

Conclusion