Route to Transformation of Educational Institutions through a Whole Institution Approach to Sustainability [SUStainability in EDucational Institutions]

ongoing

Over the years, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been evolving and been adopted across all levels of formal education while gaining the interest of non-formal education. However, in most cases the approach is sporadic and disjoint; that is, the curricula promoting ESD do not reflect the way various educational institutions are run, while the connection with the surrounding community is not prominent. What is needed is an approach that brings together all these different components into a holistic functional unit that is more in line with the systems thinking promoted by ESD. This approach was formerly referred to as a Whole School Approach, but with the need to extend ESD beyond schooling, the term has changed to Whole Institution Approach (WIA). SUSEDI targets all Educational Institutions (EIs) and aims to transform them by supporting them to adopt the WIA. The term EIs refers to any institution offering formal or non-formal learning, independently of the level. The aim of SUSEDI is to support EIs to adopt the WIA through a series of transformational steps, and to certify them on achieving milestones. Additionally, SUSEDI aims to develop the sustainability competence of educators/leaders/administrative staff as their role is critical for institutions in terms of adopting WIA. The main deliverables of the project are an open educational resource for the development of the sustainability competence of EIs personnel, the methodology guide “Route map for the transformation of Educational Institutions into WIA to sustainability” that will include steps to transformation and proposed activities in the pillars and domains of the systemic framework for WIA to sustainability, as well as a certification standard aligned with ISO for EIs to certify their transformation into the WIA to sustainability in three different levels: Awareness, Into Action and WIA to Sustainability. SUSEDI will produce 15 deliverables and will benefit directly 240 educators and 52 EIs.