Youth in Action – Sprouts for the Future Transformative learning experiences for pupils, educators and school communities in the field of ecological regeneration

Building on the experience of the successful Twinning Schools Project project which completed in January 2023, this project prioritises ecological solutions as a concrete next step and implements suitable technologies based on concrete needs in the immediate vicinity of schools. These focus on issues such as food supply, shelter, water, waste, and ecosystem regeneration, while providing transformative and hands-on learning experiences for students and teachers. At the same time, the project strengthens and expands the ReGENerative Schools network by documenting and sharing their project progress on a local and global level. Through a combination of a “learning-by-doing” approach and the support of dedicated experts, GEN will guide five schools between Feb 2023 and May 2024 in implementing ecological solutions at and implement them on their school campuses, turning them into local demonstration sites, and enable others to replicate similar projects.

Collective Dream:

• Create impactful local demonstration sites for ecological regeneration, climate change adaptation and community building using schools as a nexus for intergenerational learning and socio-ecological transformation.
• Reduce environmental impacts through preserving water, growing organic food, reducing waste, building with natural materials, and restoring ecosystems.
• Provide transformative learning experiences for pupils, educators and school communities in the field of ecological regeneration.
• Support local teachers to develop and share methodologies for project-based, hands-on and interdisciplinary learning for school children.
• Strengthening the role of schools as centres for local learning and transformation for sustainable development and build on the success and momentum generated in the Regenerative Twinning Schools project by continuing to demonstrate the value and potential of schools in spreading regenerative solutions.
• Facilitate and promote cross-cultural collaboration and connections in the fields of climate change adaptation and practical, transformative and interdisciplinary learning for the ecological transition.
• Strengthen and grow the ReGENerative Schools Network through inviting more schools and piloting, documenting and disseminating projects that can be easily replicated around the world.

Project Plan:

Phase 1 – Launch and preparation (2 months): Introduce the project goals and structure with the 5 partners and build the container for the Community of Practice. Facilitate team building and analyse the local needs and potentials. Formulate the vision for each of the projects.

Phase 2 – Implementation (11 months): Develop the action plans and match with local mentors/experts to support project planning and implementation. Take baseline measuremetns and then launch the hands-on work of building demonstration sites. Facilitate regular engagement with the local communities, the expert mentors, and the global Community of Practice. Observe and analyse the environmental impacts (e.g. food produced, biodiversity increased, waste diverted etc.).

Phase 3 – Evaluation and Dissemination (2 months): Evaluate the action plans and take final measurements. Host local interactive presentations to weave communities into the projects and the share lessons learned. Disseminate the learning to GEN network through creative and informative media, including a final public showcase.

The partners:

Suay Long Eco School supported by Gaia Ashram in Thailand (GENOA)

School Garden from Montenegro (GEN Europe)

Reimagined Learning Centre, Kuthumba Ecovillage from South Africa (GEN Africa)

Springhouse Community School from the US (GENNA)

Uba Qynza, Aldeafeliz Ecovillage from Columbia (CASA)

Explore the Project Updates

Taking baseline measurements

Meeting the local mentors

Launching local project implementation

Cross-Pollinating with other Regenerative Educators

And delve into the details of each of the partners’ journeys through their project journals.

Here you can follow the steps from determining which theme to focus on, to connecting with a local mentor and creating the action plans, all the way through the implementaiton and measuring the impact.

Core Project Team:

Abbie Caldas

GEN’s Education Director and Online Learning Lead passionate about about lifelong education, greening schools and permaculture design.

Carolin Waldmann

Carolin has been GEN’s Office Coordinator and Education Assistant and works now as a Project Consultant for GEN’s funded projects, supporting schools and local communities apply ecovillage design to their activities.