Learning Green Skills to make a change

Nowadays we are living in a critical time in history where we cannot ignore the topics of climate change and environmental sustainability. Because the consequences of the state of the environment will be mainly faced by future generations, it is essential that teachers learn how to bring out these matters inside the classroom. Moreover, it is even more important to learn how to address these topics, encouraging a sense of possibility of change rather than despair.
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This new course “Green skills for education: promoting environmental awareness and sustainable actions in the classroom” took place in Bologna from 09/02/2025 to 15/02/2025, with participants from four different countries: Heike Mayer from Goethe-Schule Flensburg in Germany; Maria Helena Gonçalves Baptista, Maria Gabriela Soares Viegas Gonçalves, and Sílvia Clara Carvalho Lopes Macedo from Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Navarro in Portugal; Georgios Theodorakis, Theodoros Tsapakidis, Athanasia Andromanetsikou, Irini Papachristou, Eleni Kosti, and Eleni Papachristou from 2 ESP EPAL PEIRAIA (2nd Evening Vocational High School of Piraeus) in Greece; Rosa Mª Martínez Iturbe from IES Alonso Quijano in Spain; and Koumla Magdalini, Zacharea Maria, and Sachinidou Panagiota from General High School Paralia Stavrou in Greece.

At the beginning of the week, we focused on what are considered to be Green Skills and why they are vital in today's society. During the first day, the goal was to reflect on the words that make up the green vocabulary. Participants shared their current and desired sustainable activities to incorporate into daily habits and discussed their schools' existing practices in fostering sustainability and green skills learning.
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The following day, we explored the definitions and meanings of sustainability and sustainable development, including the three pillars of sustainability. Participants engaged in an activity to recognize students' feelings and emotions regarding climate change and discovered innovative teaching methods to enhance green skills. Additionally, an overview of the Agenda 2030 framework was presented.

Another focus of the week was the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On Wednesday, participants engaged in a hands-on activity around the seven SDGs related to environmental sustainability. They also worked on critical thinking skills through dedicated group activities and analyzed the phenomenon of Greenwashing, learning how to spot deceptive marketing practices in supposedly "green" products.
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Thursday was dedicated to incorporating sustainability into education through Outdoor Education pillars and activities designed to foster green skills. Additionally, participants explored Project-Based Learning as a powerful tool to promote sustainability in the classroom.

On the final day, the focus shifted to understanding and addressing the Carbon Footprint phenomenon. Participants engaged in group activities to explore the European Green Competence Framework, deepening their understanding of how to integrate green skills into their teaching practices.

One of the most enriching aspects of this course was the sharing of best practices, allowing participants to exchange ideas and gain inspiration from projects and activities implemented by fellow educators. We are glad our participants left Bologna with a big smile on their faces, lots of new knowledge in their brains, and a heart full of new experiences!

Discover more about this course here