The National Council on Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMD) of the Dominican Republic has announced that the country will invest a further 1 million USD from the national budget in climate change training for teachers in 2014-2016. The training programme is based on a UN CC:Learn supported pilot phase during which 400 teachers were trained in 2013. An initial UN CC:Learn grant of 30,000 USD succeeded in leveraging 90,000 USD in national budgetary funds for teacher training. The additional 1 million USD that has been announced for the expanded programme brings the total resources leveraged to 1,090,000 USD – a 36:1 ratio.
The resources for the expanded programme are made available by the National Teacher Training Institute (INAFOCAM) and will be implemented with support by Sur Futuro Foundation, a national observer organization of the UNFCCC. The expanded programme covers 85 training courses for 3,000 teachers all over the country, 3 train-the-trainer workshops, as well as the participation of 25 teachers in international and regional cooperation to engage with other countries on the topic of climate change education.
Pilot workshop for the teacher training on climate change, March 2013
Watch a video about the teachers training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m80JQNHeEI8
Read the UNESCO manual that inspired the teachers training:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/resources/online-materials/single-view/news/new_first_online_climate_change_education_course_for_teachers/#.U2O9waIkLTq
About UN CC:Learn
UN CC:Learn is a partnership of 33 multilateral organizations which supports Member States in designing and implementing results-oriented and sustainable learning to address climate change. The Secretariat for UN CC:Learn is provided by UNITAR. An important aspect of UN CC:Learn is to support countries develop a National Climate Change Learning Strategy through a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder process. During the course of 2012-2013, Benin, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Malawi, and Uganda are participating as UN CC:Learn pilot countries. Funding for UN CC:Learn is provided by the Swiss Government.