The Conservation Education Network held a convening in Johannesburg from 3 - 6 March. Our Communities for Conservation – Development intern, Goitseone Samson, braved new terrain to represent CCB among 26 other educationalists. The group met to exchange ideas and share their context-specific experiences to strengthen education strategies. The event provided a valuable platform for us to share our conservation education initiatives while reinforcing the practical skills we have to enhance local impact.
A key focus of the workshop was understanding how education drives behaviour change – specifically in promoting human-wildlife coexistence and promoting sustainable natural resource use. Through dedicated theory of change sessions, participants learned ways to effectively link conservation challenges with clear inputs, activities, and measurable short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. The sessions about monitoring and evaluation further emphasised the importance of tracking progress to ensure programmes achieve their intended goals.
The workshop further functioned as a hub for practical tool-sharing with participants sharing interactive educational games that others could adopt to boost learner participation and understanding during their various activities. “Participating in the workshop and presenting our work to an international audience helped me gain new skills, knowledge, and confidence to carry out my work and represent CCB effectively”, shared Samson, continuing, “engaging with experienced peers also gave me insight on ways to strengthen my work”.
Beyond the formal sessions, the connections built with fellow educators have opened doors for ongoing knowledge exchange and resource sharing. The experience has renewed our confidence in facilitating impactful conservation education and reinforced our belief that collaborative efforts and small actions at the community level can yield positive results for conservation.
A key focus of the workshop was understanding how education drives behaviour change – specifically in promoting human-wildlife coexistence and promoting sustainable natural resource use. Through dedicated theory of change sessions, participants learned ways to effectively link conservation challenges with clear inputs, activities, and measurable short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. The sessions about monitoring and evaluation further emphasised the importance of tracking progress to ensure programmes achieve their intended goals.
The workshop further functioned as a hub for practical tool-sharing with participants sharing interactive educational games that others could adopt to boost learner participation and understanding during their various activities. “Participating in the workshop and presenting our work to an international audience helped me gain new skills, knowledge, and confidence to carry out my work and represent CCB effectively”, shared Samson, continuing, “engaging with experienced peers also gave me insight on ways to strengthen my work”.
Beyond the formal sessions, the connections built with fellow educators have opened doors for ongoing knowledge exchange and resource sharing. The experience has renewed our confidence in facilitating impactful conservation education and reinforced our belief that collaborative efforts and small actions at the community level can yield positive results for conservation.
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