This session will address how schools and learning institutions promote the holistic nature of education for sustainable development (ESD) principles across all aspects of school life, from infrastructure and environment to curriculum, teacher trainings, as well as community engagement. The session will highlight the opportunities and challenges that the whole school approach (WSA) and the whole institution approach (WIA) provide for ESD and share good practices from across Arab States and beyond. Participants will be able to learn concrete examples of WSA/WIA and how these can be adapted and implemented in their contexts.
Whole school and whole institution approaches to ESD advocate for the seamless integration of sustainable development principles throughout learning institutions in a holistic manner. This entails embedding teaching and learning for sustainable development not only within the curriculum but also within the whole learning environment, encompassing governance, campus management, stakeholder engagement, and community involvement. Through active participation, students, educators, administrators, parents, and the wider community collaborate as a joint actor to cultivate a sustainable learning environment, inspired by a shared education vision. Schools that embark on WSA have been encouraged to integrate emerging issues on sustainability, and to improve mainstreaming ESD into the educational settings, including the quality of learning processes and outcomes by involving stakeholders in decision-making.
About the ESD-Net for 2030 learning webinar series
The learning webinars will focus on providing concrete and practical ESD activities in line with the five priority action areas outlined in the ESD for 2030 Roadmap:
advancing policy
transforming learning environments
building capacities of educators
empowering and mobilizing youth
accelerating local level actions