Imagineaction is a program designed to facilitate teacher-student-community interaction in social action.
UNESCO describes the role of education for sustainable development (ESD) as helping people “develop the attitudes,
skills, and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and for the future,
and to act upon those decisions.” This is the very core of the Imagineaction movement. Imagineaction builds on the
successful Green Street program by enhancing the strictly environmental focus to include a focus on six themes – Connect
(relationships), Engage (participatory citizenship), Thrive (Health and Wellness), Lead (Leadership), Live (environmental
sustainability), and Care (poverty). Each of these themes is intertwined in a program geared to facilitate action after
teachers and students have engaged in a critical thinking exercise about the issue that they want to take on. Imagineaction
will assist teachers in three ways. A series of web-based professional resources are available to assist teachers in the
initiation of social action projects tied to both curricular and co-curricular activities. Teachers may also apply for
funding subsidies to assist them in initiating their projects. Finally, project teams will also have access to an electronic
showcase of projects to enable them to tell others of the good work being accomplished and to let them search for new
and innovative ideas related to sustainable development. These resources, available to teachers and
students on a trusted platform, will provide a key piece in any provincial or territorial strategy for the promotion and
support of ESD in the school system.
Who is Behind Imagineaction?
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF)
As the national bilingual umbrella organization for teachers in this country, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF)
has 15 provincial and territorial Member organizations, one Affiliate Member, and one associate member representing nearly 273,000 teachers across Canada.
CTF is a powerful voice for the teaching profession and advances the cause of education for its Member organizations
and teachers by: acting as the collective voice of teachers at the interprovincial, federal and international levels;
facilitating the sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills; fostering research; addressing societal issues that affect the
health and well-being of children and youth in Canada and abroad; coordinating and conducting international assistance;
and cooperating with like-minded organizations, in Canada and elsewhere.
CTF supports education for sustainability, which includes any teaching approach designed to promote understanding of
issues of the environment, economy and society and the interconnections among them, and which fosters the knowledge, skills
and values needed to participate in appropriate change for a more sustainable future.