ECO-SCHOOLS AND GREEN SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION (BUILDING SUSTAINABLE LEARNING COMMUNITIES)

Introduction and Description

The course Eco-Schools and Green School Transformation: Building Sustainable Learning Communities is a structured professional development programme designed to support schools in implementing sustainability as a whole-school, long-term development strategy. Responding directly to the European Green Deal and the sustainability priorities of the Erasmus+ programme, the course equips school leaders, coordinators, and school development teams with the knowledge, skills, and strategic tools needed to lead meaningful ecological transformation within their institutions.

Rather than approaching sustainability as a collection of isolated environmental activities, the course adopts a whole-school approach, integrating leadership, curriculum, pedagogy, school operations, governance, and community engagement into a coherent framework for change. Participants explore how sustainability can be embedded into school vision, policies, organisational culture, and everyday practices, ensuring alignment between educational innovation and institutional development.

A strong emphasis is placed on green leadership and organisational change, recognising the key role of school leaders and coordination teams in fostering shared responsibility, participatory decision-making, and collective ownership of sustainability processes. Participants are introduced to systems thinking perspectives that support schools in understanding themselves as complex learning organisations capable of responding to environmental, social, and economic challenges in an integrated manner.

The course also addresses curriculum integration and learner engagement, highlighting interdisciplinary and learner-centred pedagogical approaches that connect sustainability with key competences such as active citizenship, critical thinking, collaboration, and democratic participation. Students are positioned as active contributors and change agents, reinforcing the Erasmus+ priorities of inclusion, participation, and empowerment.

Practical dimensions of sustainability are explored through sustainable school operations, resource management, and community partnerships, enabling participants to connect daily practices with educational objectives. Throughout the programme, participants are supported in aligning sustainability initiatives with Erasmus+ school development strategies, quality assurance processes, and institutional self-evaluation, strengthening the long-term impact of mobility projects and European cooperation.

The course is offered in both a 5-day intensive format, suitable for focused capacity building and initial strategic planning, and a 10-day extended format, allowing for deeper exploration, applied project work, and comprehensive school transformation planning. In both versions, participants develop a context-specific sustainability action plan that can be directly implemented within their school and integrated into Erasmus+ project activities.

By the end of the course, participants enhance their capacity to lead green school transformation that is pedagogically meaningful, organisationally embedded, and fully aligned with European sustainability and education priorities.

Objectives

1. Whole-School Sustainability and Systems Thinking

Participants will:

Understand sustainability as a systemic, whole-school process rather than a collection of isolated initiatives.
Apply systems thinking to analyse interactions between leadership, pedagogy, operations, and school culture.
Identify leverage points for sustainable change within their own institutions.

2. Leadership and Organisational Change

Participants will:

Develop competencies in green leadership and sustainability-oriented school management.
Explore participatory and distributed leadership models that support shared responsibility.
Strengthen their ability to lead organisational change aligned with sustainability values.

3. Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Learner Engagement

Participants will:

Integrate sustainability meaningfully across the curriculum using interdisciplinary approaches.
Align sustainability education with key competences such as citizenship, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Promote student participation and agency as drivers of school-wide transformation.

4. Sustainable Operations and Community Partnerships

Participants will:

Analyse school operations as learning opportunities for sustainability education.
Develop strategies for sustainable resource use, environmental monitoring, and ethical procurement.
Build partnerships with families, local authorities, and community actors to extend impact beyond the school.

5. Strategic Development and Erasmus+ Alignment

Participants will:

Embed sustainability objectives into school development plans and Erasmus+ strategies.
Design sustainability-focused Erasmus+ projects with clear institutional impact.
Develop evaluation frameworks to ensure continuity and long-term sustainability of initiatives.

Preparation

After registration participants will receive pre-course questionnaire which will be used by the trainer to learn about participants’ teaching backgrounds and to assess their exact needs. Before the beginning of the course a basic reading list will be suggested to participants to prepare for the training. Participants will also be asked to prepare a presentation about themselves, their professional context and their culture. The presentation will be presented on the first day of the course to facilitate networking opportunities. Participants will receive information about the country they are going to visit in order to prepare them for their cultural experience.

Follow up

After the course participants will be asked to share what they have learned with the rest of the staff in their schools. Further books and articles to deepen the topic and contacts with some other practitioners all over Europe and in the world will be suggested by the trainer. The methods shared and explored and the bibliography given will allow the participants to complete and improve their educational path.

5 days programme (25 hours)

course sessions (Monday to Friday)

Introduction to whole-school sustainability and Eco-School / Green School approaches
Understanding sustainability as a strategic school development priority
Viewing schools as learning organisations and interconnected systems
Applying systems thinking to analyse sustainability challenges in schools
Developing key green leadership competencies for school leaders and coordinators
Exploring participatory and distributed leadership models
Building a shared sustainability vision within the school community
Integrating sustainability across the curriculum through interdisciplinary approaches
Learner-centred and experiential pedagogies for education for sustainable development (ESD)
Strengthening student participation, voice, and agency in sustainability initiatives
Designing basic eco-committees and student involvement structures
Understanding the role of school culture and behaviour change in sustainability
Using the school as a living laboratory for sustainability learning
Introduction to sustainable practices related to energy, water, waste, and resources
Engaging families and local community partners in green school initiatives
Communicating sustainability actions and building stakeholder support
Embedding sustainability into school development plans
Aligning sustainability actions with Erasmus+ KA1 / KA121 objectives
Designing sustainability-focused Erasmus+ mobility and development activities
Introduction to evaluation and impact indicators for sustainability initiatives
Development of a practical, school-specific sustainability action plan
Peer exchange, reflection, and professional dialogue throughout the programme
If you wish, next I can:
create a side-by-side comparison table (5 vs 10 days),
adapt both lists for Erasmus+ application annexes, or
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cultural and social programme

Teambuilding and networking activities
City tour or a cultural trip

10 days programme (50 hours)

course sessions (Monday to Friday + Monday to Friday)

In-depth exploration of whole-school sustainability frameworks and Eco-School / Green School models
Understanding schools as learning organisations and complex systems
Application of systems thinking to sustainability-driven school development
Development of green leadership competencies for school leaders and coordinators
Exploration of participatory and distributed leadership models
Strategies for building a shared sustainability vision within school communities
Embedding sustainability across the curriculum through interdisciplinary approaches
Learner-centred pedagogies for education for sustainable development (ESD)
Strengthening student participation, agency, and democratic school culture
Designing and managing eco-committees and student-led sustainability structures
Addressing behaviour change and school culture in sustainability initiatives
Using the school as a living laboratory for sustainability learning
Sustainable management of energy, water, waste, mobility, and resources
Introduction to green procurement and ethical resource use in schools
Monitoring and evaluating the environmental impact of school operations
Engaging families, local authorities, NGOs, and community partners
Designing community-based sustainability projects
Communication and advocacy strategies for green school initiatives
Integrating sustainability into school development plans and quality assurance
Aligning green transformation with Erasmus+ KA1 / KA121 priorities
Designing sustainability-focused Erasmus+ mobility and cooperation projects
Documentation, reporting, and dissemination of sustainability outcomes
Evaluation frameworks and indicators for sustainable school transformation
Strategies for ensuring long-term impact and institutional continuity
Development of a comprehensive school sustainability action plan
Peer feedback, reflective practice, and professional exchange throughout the course

cultural and social programme

Teambuilding and networking activities
City tour or a cultural trip

5 DAYS PROGRAMME (400 €) DOWNLOAD

10 DAYS PROGRAMME (800 €) DOWNLOAD

CERTIFICATE

Each participant will get a course attendance certificate and we will validate the acquired competences on the Europass Mobility upon request. Please note that we have a paperless policy and all the documents will be delivered in digital form.

COURSE FEE

The course fee is 80 € per day. It includes tuition and materials, cultural and social programme, support in preparation and all the administrative work. There are no additional costs or hidden fees. After registration, you will receive a pro-forma invoice which you will have to pay by bank transaction. You will receive the invoice after you attend the course.

SUBSISTENCE

The course fee doesn't include accommodation and meals and participants are responsible to organize them on their own. In some locations we might be able to recommend or organize subsistence for you. Please don't hesitate to contact us to inquire about any specific location.

REGISTRATION

You can submit a non-biding registration and we will reserve a place for you until you are ready to confirm your participation. cancellations are free until you pay the course fee.