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SuSLab: Skills for a desirable future!

2024-1-AT01-KA153-YOU-0002230252024Mobility of youth workersongoing
Countries: AT|EL|DE|TR|HR|LB|XK|LV|PL|RS|IT · Grant: €61,384
Green skillsEnvironment and climate changeQuality and innovation of youth work

Objectives

The project envisions a transformative initiative driven by a collective of architects, permaculturists, agriculturists, social ecologists, philosophers, and educators who share a concern about the inadequacy of current approaches to sustainable development. Recognizing the urgency of the socio-ecological challenges we face, the group aims to reshape the narrative and practice of Education for Environmental Sustainability (EES) through a holistic and interdisciplinary lens. The initiative is born out of dissatisfaction with the current state of public awareness and EES. Notably, there's a recognized need to address phenomena like eco-anxiety, climate denial, and apathy among young people as well as to have a renewed understanding of what type of skills, knowledge and competencies should be transmitted to new generations for supporting, reinforcing and enabling necessary actions of our societies towards sustainable development. To tackle these issues, the project sets out to create a dynamic space for learning and exchange, bringing together experts and fostering collaboration across various disciplines in order to improve and innovate their knowledge, skills and practices in EES. In particular, the project aims to: (O1) Enhancing Ecological Literacy among Youth Workers: (O1.1) Develop a comprehensive understanding of current socio-ecological challenges and sustainability development efforts, with specific focus on EES; (O1.2) Critical discussing and exchanging views on the impact of these challenges on young people and on how EES tackles (or should tackle) them; (O2) Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration: (O2.1) Facilitate inter-, multi- and cross-disciplinary exchanges and collaborations among different experts (educators, activists, artists, thinkers, agriculturists, architects and other experts); (O2.2) Promoting a holistic approach to EES through interconnecting different disciplines (also through philosophical and artistic insights); (O3) Revitalising and Sustaining EES (O3.1) Critically examining current EES frameworks, moving beyond mere content delivery to address systemic issues in terms of thought and practice; (O3.2) Developing innovative and effective methodologies for integrating sustainability into formal and non-formal education (for instance through artistic practices and citizen science methods); (O3.3) Develop methods and knowledge inspired by sustainability literacy skills (see Handbook of Sustainability Literacy, Arran Stibbe (ed.), Green Books, UK, 2009); (O4) Address Gaps in Knowledge and Pedagogy: (O4.1) Identify and bridge gaps in knowledge related to EES topics and pedagogical approaches among participating youth workers; (O4.2) Enhance the ability of youth workers to facilitate discussions on contested knowledge and values surrounding sustainability; (O5) Build a Network of Educators and Changemakers: (O5.1) Establish a supportive network of educators, changemakers, activists, and professionals interested in EES. (O5.2) Facilitate interdisciplinary exchanges of best practices, collaboration, and communication among participants. (O6) Prepare Youth Workers for Outsourced EES Curricula: (O6.1) Provide youth workers and relevant partners with the necessary preparation to address the outsourcing of EES curricula by schools to external experts or projects. (O6.2) Strengthen the capacity of youth workers to deliver effective EES content within their educational contexts. (O7) Tackle Contemporary Challenges Impacting Youth: (O7.1) Assess and address the impact of phenomena such as eco-anxiety, climate denial, apathy, and inaction among young people, especially with regard to sustainable development and EES; (O7.2) Equip youth workers with strategies and methods to mitigate these phenomena in young people;

Project partners (11)