University of Texas at Arlington
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) empowers people to change the way they think and work towards a sustainable future. In 2003, the United Nations University launched a multi stakeholder ESD project called Regional Center of Expertise for Education on Sustainable Development (RCRE). An RCE is an existing formal, non-formal, and informal organization that facilitates learning towards sustainable development in local and regional communities. RCEs facilitate multi-sector collaboration and utilize formal, non-formal, and informal education to address sustainable development challenges in local and regional communities. In essence, RCEs are a tool for transformation to a more sustainable society, combining education and action for sustainable development.
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/rces-worldwide
https://sustainability.uta.edu/rce/

RCE North Texas, founded in March 2019 at the University of Texas at Arlington, is one of the 179 RCEs worldwide. It is a network of multidisciplinary stakeholders, including higher education institutions; businesses; non-governmental organizations; community associations; and local, regional, state, and federal government agencies.

The North Texas region has grown dramatically over the past 40 years, with growth projections indicating a more than doubling in population size from the current 7.2 million residents by the year 2050. In this rapid-growth scenario, how will North Texas fare and grow in a sustainable manner as it confronts exploding population projections and associated environmental, economic, and social challenges including climate change? RCE North Texas is an influencer in the community as cities expand, providing the resources to maximize the potential economic opportunity that well-managed communities can offer and be a conduit for transformative education in North Texas. We are focused on the following SDGs, which have been deemed a priority for our region: Good Health and Well-Being (3); Quality Education (4); Sustainable Cities and Communities (11).

in 2021 UT Arlington's Office of Sustainability Launched North Texas Food Policy Alliance (NTFPA) which includes diverse group of partners ranging from community leaders to city government, from public health and community nonprofit organizations to educational institutions.
https://sustainability.uta.edu/ntfpa/

Collectively, NTFPA’s 42 partnering organizations represent the 16 counties in North Texas, bringing their placed-based experience and deep knowledge to work towards a more sustainable and equitable food system.

Objectives of the North Texas Food Policy Alliance:
- Work towards UN SDG#3 Good Health and Well Being- one of the goals of the RCE North Texas https://sustainability.uta.edu/rce/
- Share resources- knowledge and expertise
- Research and Strategy for solutions
- Education and Outreach
• Partnerships and Collaboration
• Capacity Building

Air North Texas is a regional public awareness campaign and partnership that seeks to improve air quality in North Texas.The campaign was formed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with support of a task force made up of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, transportation authorities and others.UTA is a member and partner of this organization managed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
https://www.airnorthtexas.org/

For Air North Texas partnership, UTA provides space to host events and meetings, helps with social media campaign and outreach events