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Sustainability, Environment, and the Arts in Education (SEAE) Research Centre
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About Us
This research concentration was established in 2012 and is co-led by Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles and Professor Alexandra Lasczik.
The Sustainability, Environment, and the Arts in Education (SEAE) Research Centre is globally recognised for enacting profound change in/through transdisciplinary environmental and Arts education research that disrupts and generates new ways of being and becoming, which provokes dynamic responses to critical local-global calamities.
This research centre represents a large collective of researchers working across sustainability, environment and the Arts in education. This centre is unique and has a transdisciplinary research focus which directly informs public debate, policy, advocacy and practice.
Purpose and Objectives
Purpose
Radical education and arts-based research praxes for climate, environmental, and social justice.
Objectives
- Relational research communities
Enliven relationality through collaborative praxis for/with climate, environmental, and social justice education research communities.
- Radical philosophies
Centre First Nations, feminist, posthuman, arts, and radical ontologies, epistemologies, subjectivities, and theories in ongoing co-creations and imaginings of knowledge for/with children and the planet.
Explore our research- Transdisciplinary methodologies
Centre radical inquiry through climate, environmental, and social justice education by connecting and conversing with knowledges from new and different places.
- Disrupting education systems
Respect, recognise, and trouble situated education praxes for radical change in pedagogies, curricula, and policies.
- Sharing knowledges
Mobilise climate, environmental, and social justice education research that presses close to local and global issues through publications, creative works, and praxes.
Project Highlights
Climate Country: Advancing Child and Youth-led Climate Change Education with Country
Led by Professor Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles and has attracted $581,715. An international team will research climate change education approaches with Indigenous and non-Indigenous children, youth and Elders across Australia and Canada. Western and Indigenous perspectives on climate change contrast deeply. This research will generate transcultural understandings about climate change education.
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Floods + Me
This project aims to understand children and young people’s flood experiences and its impact on their education. The devastating February 2022 floods in the Norther Rivers saw many early childhood education settings and schools either deemed unsalvageable, temporarily closed, or significantly disrupted. While the immediate priority was to ensure ‘education’ continued across the Northern Rivers, the impact on children and young people and their education is not well understood.
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Learning with Land (Country as Curriculum)
The Learning with the Land partnership brings together an international network of art educators to explore how artists and arts-based researchers are taking up the concept of reciprocity to critically engage with the land upon which they live, learn, teach, and create. This partnership focuses on how the arts might help challenge Western-Euro-centric understandings of land and provoke meaningful dialogue and action towards decolonizing education and research practices.
More about Learning with Land/prod01/channel_8/media/scu-dep/news/images/2024/Bachelor-of-Indigenous-Knowledge_20220131_DSC_7881-1.jpg)
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Research impact
The SEAE Research Centre at Southern Cross University stands out for driving change in environmental and arts education. It's known for its unique transdisciplinary method that has influenced debates, policy, and practice. The Centre's focus on creative research methods has led to transformative ecological thought and educational models, embracing Indigenous knowledges, posthumanism, and feminist theories.
Its impact is seen in publications that address educational policy, consent issues among youth, and contributions to climate change education. Notably, the Centre's work in childhood environmental education has been highly rated in national evaluations, affirming its role in shaping effective educational strategies and responses to global environmental challenges.
Meet our researchersDiscover more about us
Explore our Projects
Discover the transformative projects at the SEAE Research Centre, where we pioneer innovative environmental and arts education research. Our work is transdisciplinary, weaving together ecological thought, artistic practice, and educational theory to respond to global challenges.
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The team behind SEAE
Meet the dedicated team at the SEAE Research Centre. Our group of experts focuses on sustainability, the environment, and arts in education, working together to inspire and educate for a greener future. Learn about the people leading our projects, their passions, and how they are helping to change the way we learn about and care for our world.
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Partner With Us
Join forces with the SEAE Research Centre and become a part of our mission to integrate sustainability, the environment, and the arts into education. Partnering with us means collaborating on groundbreaking projects, influencing policy, and making a tangible impact on both local and global scales.
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Thinking about HDR study?
Considering a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) study? At the SEAE Research Centre, we offer opportunities to delve into advanced research that makes a real difference in sustainability, the environment, and the arts within education. Join us to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and contribute to meaningful change. If you're ready to take the next step in your academic journey, we're here to support and collaborate with you. Contact us to discuss your HDR study options.
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SEAE Seminars
Each year, the SEAE research centre hosts a number of seminars with nationally and internationally distinguished speakers. See them all here.
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Sustainability Pledge
Join Southern Cross staff and students to create a more ecologically sustainable future in our lives and as a university community.
Take the pledge