{"id":1796,"date":"2018-03-16T00:08:06","date_gmt":"2018-03-16T04:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/?p=1796"},"modified":"2018-03-16T00:08:06","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T04:08:06","slug":"first-day-of-the-4th-binational-sustainable-campuses-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca\/sustainable-campuses\/institutional-collaboration\/first-day-of-the-4th-binational-sustainable-campuses-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"First Day of the 4th Binational Sustainable Campuses Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Petya Yordanova (Edited and translated by Gisela Frias)<\/p>\n

Yesterday was the first day of the 4th bi-national (itinerant) Sustainable Campuses Forum in beautiful Morelos, Mexico. Dawson College was represented by Dr. Gisela Frias, Coordinator of the Sustainable Campuses Initiative, Chris Adam Coordinator of Sustainability, Katherine Mcwhaw Coordinator of Quality Assurance & Planning, Sarah Cartier Co-Chairperson and Program Coordinator and faculty of CRLT, and Petya Yordanova, 3rd-year CRLT student. There was participation from all the different post secondary institutions that are parat of the Sustainable Campuses Initiative, UPN, Prepartoria Comunitaria de Tres Marias and yesterday\u2019s host, the UPEMOR.
\nThe Universidad Politecnica del Estado de Morelos \/UPEMOR\/ was the first educational institution to open the forum. The event took place by the CECAM (Centro de Capacitacion ambiental, gestion y sustentabilidad) under the shade of the trees and with the participants sharing a cup of coffee as a predisposition for us to get to know each other.
\nDr. Gisela Frias, who is also one of the co-founders of this SCI (Margarita Hurtado, co-founder of the initiative and a member of Ciudades Verdes could not be present) , and Luisa Montes from Ciudades Verdes told us the story of how the idea for this initiative was born and how it has developed until today\u2019s 4th edition of this forum. The coordinator of the Sustainable Campuses in Mexico, Paulina Mogel, also offered a few words of encouragement and enthusiasm for the successful development of the Forum and invited us all to join all in the activities for the next couple of days. UPEMOR authorities also gave a welcome to all the participants and highlighted the importance that all of the members of the educational community work for sustainability.<\/p>\n

Dr. Laura Ortiz from the UAEM gave a talk on climate change and the United Nations sustainable development goals, encouraging all of us to take action and noting the vital role that post-secondary education should play. Her presentation was followed by Luisa Montes who announced that an electronic book called \u201cArar, Sembrar, Cocechar\u201d is in the works. This e-book will be written by students, teachers, staff, researchers and everyone who has been involved in the project of Sustainable Campuses, with representation from all the different institutions.
\nChris Adam (Dawson College), Valeria Davila (UPEMOR), Jorge Dominguez (UPN) and Jorge Viana (Preparatoria Comunitaria de Tres Marias) each presented a \u201cPechakucha\u201d, twenty slides, lastinging 20 seconds each, while they discussed the different sustainability projects that their institutions were involved in. They focused on the challenges faced while doing sustainability projects.
\nThe Forum was also an opportunity for the students of the UPEMOR to showcase their sustainability projects. There were thirteen projects! Including a medicine garden, the revitalization of a wetland, a rotating compost bin, a living room made of reusable materials, a bio-digester and these are only a little part of everything that the students have done. We had the opportunity to learn how to produce mushrooms and even to taste them with crackers and salsa.
\nThe Coordinator of Sustainability at Dawson College, Chris Adam, presented on creativity and the different factors that can support it and how it can be an important tool for sustainability and once again have touched the hearts of the audience with his love for Nature and encouragement.
\nThe last part of the forum was dedicated to the students who have been part of an exchange through this project and had the opportunity to experience new countries and cultures. Among the presenters were myself, Petya Yordanova (Dawson College), Mitzi Chavez and Sergio Garcia (UPEMOR), and Jessica Vergara (UPN).
\nThe first day of the Forum was a successful beginning giving us a feeling of satisfaction and an opportunity celebrate all that has been accomplished.<\/p>\n

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