Cameroon Environmental Education Support Project - Phase 1 (CEESP I)

Project Background
Prior to the development of CEESP I, Living Earth carried out extensive study and consultation, working under protocol agreement with the Ministry of National Education, helping to introduce the practice and development of environmental education (EE) in both the school system and in local communities. Through this, in accordance with Cameroon's National Environmental Management Plan, and the recommendation of the National Education forum, Living Earth set up the Cameroon Environment Support Project (CEESP I), using more than a decade of experience working with the local communities and schools to produce environmental education (EE) teaching resources including schools curricula teaching / learning packages - curricula maps, eco-maps, books and leaflets.

This project ran between November 1996 and September 1998, in the Centre, North West and South West regions (formerly provinces) of Cameroon and was funded by the EU, in partnership with the Government of Cameroon (GoC).

Project Objectives
The purpose of this project was to raise awareness of the general public, local communities and decision-makers regarding the need to introduce environmental education in the schools system. It was also to encourage people to consider their impact on the environment and to then help them reduce or stop activities that deplete natural resources or threaten biodiversity in the region.

Project Activities
During the project period, the Living Earth Cameroon team worked intensively through a highly participatory process to produce EE materials for schools. The process involved:

• Baseline surveys to collect local environmental, educational, political, social and economic information that would help inform the project.

• Project launch and consultation work with a wide range of teachers, government officials, environmental experts and NGOs to publicise the project and provide the participants with an opportunity to contribute suggestions and thoughts towards the project's outputs.

• Regional workshops with teachers and education inspectors to collect information in reference to current teaching practices of EE in Cameroonian schools, constraints and desired improvements to the existing syllabuses. This information was key in helping to ensure that the materials were appropriate to the Cameroonian education system.

• A writing workshop was held in Yaounde with both a UK and a Cameroonian publication team.

• Piloting of the material took place during October - November 1997. The materials were piloted in a variety of Cameroonian schools to collect feedback as to their effectiveness and ease of use.

• The final pack consists of a Foundation Unit to EE, Curriculum Maps for primary and secondary schools, Teaching Manuals for primary and secondary schools and an Eco-map for the NW, SW and Central regions in Cameroon.

CEESP I Publications:

Eco-Map - North West Province

Eco-Map - South West Province

Eco-Map - Central Province

Environmental Education in Action 1- Manual for Primary Schools

Environmental Education in Action 2 - Manual for Secondary Schools

Au delà du discours