E3 Principles of Partnership
E3 Washington embraces a “systems approach” to learning. This means we recognize the interdependence of all people: We reach across our differences to work together, to build trust, and to define the educational pathway to a healthy and prosperous future for all.
At the beginning of E3 in 2006 we adopted the following Principles of Partnership to guide us:
- Mutual respect
- Collaboration
- Inclusiveness
- Appreciation for diversity in opinion, experience, tradition, and knowledge
E3’s goal is to establish a vibrant and growing, statewide network to help develop sustainable communities through broader environmental literacy, stronger economic structures, and increased social equality. By embracing collaborative, inclusive participation, E3 Washington brings together distinct professional, cultural, and regional interests; encourages diverse perspectives; and connects environmental-sustainability educators and community members.
E3’s success depends on the individual and collective ability of participants to craft and implement a common vision for sustainable communities and life-long learning. Outcomes achieved using the Principles of Partnership will be greater than those of any single sector or geographic area working on its own.
Applying the Principles of Partnership means that:
- We believe that it is the right of all Washington residents to be included in the development of E3 state and regional education plans, implementation, evaluation and revision.
- We consider all cultural, geographic, social-economic, and ideological perspectives to be valid.
- We commit to partnership, collaboration, and respect for diverse opinions, experiences, traditions, and knowledge.
- We commit to respectful, productive resolution of conflicts.
- We understand that many environmental and sustainability educational opportunities take place in natural places and that many of these are co-managed by tribal, state, and federal governments on a government-to-government basis.
- We commit to crafting strategies that provide equal access for all to quality, affordable environmental-sustainability education.
E3 sector and regional leaders contributed to the concepts behind these guidelines, and E3 participants applied these principles throughout the initial from 2006 to 2008. Collaboration among stakeholders who have not historically understood each others’ perspectives resulted in a dynamic spirit of interconnectedness – an essential quality for the subsequent development and execution of more localized plans.
E3 Washington is purposeful, directed, and participative – on all levels. By employing the Principles of Partnership, E3 encourages participants and supporters to recognize and appreciate the variety of roles, competencies, and organizational capacities necessary for such a comprehensive approach and process.
Only by working together can we define a new educational pathway to achieve a healthy, prosperous future for all.