Foreword

Introduction

Introd uction

Foreword “We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change an d th e last genera ti on that can do something abou t it.” Barack Obama

It is undeniable: Climate change and its consequences have been proven by science many times over; w e all see and feel the effects almost every day. In many parts of the world, the effects on people and the en - vironment are clearly noticeable. Leaders and activists around the globe discuss climate change, its con - sequences and possible responses with passion, often in heated discussions. However, the debate abou t a socio-ecological transformation towards greater sustainability is not limited to climate change. Rather, a fundamental social change is needed that takes into account the multi-layered dimensions of sustainabl e development . Th e Unite d Nations ’ 1 7 Sustainabl e Developmen t Goal s (SDGs ) highligh t thi s complexity . Discussion s surroundin g issue s suc h a s gende r equalit y an d th e right s o f minoritie s ar e als o generatin g strong reactions and controversy . It would certainly be naïve to believe that these questions can be resolved with more education alone. Th e cause s ar e a s comple x a s th e interest s an d powe r constellation s tha t ofte n stan d i n th e wa y o f energeti c action . However , educatio n an d – t o us e a traditiona l ter m – enlightenmen t ca n an d mus t mak e a signifi - cant contribution to overcoming this crisis. Only those who understand the larger context will be able to ac t appropriatel y an d tackl e ke y issues . An d sinc e tim e i s o f th e essence , i t woul d b e wis e t o begi n wit h th e education and information of adults and young people: They are the ones who are now setting the cours e fo r th e future . Adul t learnin g an d educatio n therefor e undoubtedl y ha s a majo r rol e t o play , whic h bring s us directly to the ALE centres. In adult learning and education, the challenges go far beyond designing th e curricula: The centres as a whole must live out the change if they want to be credible and motivate peopl e in their environment. This is what the “International ESD Alliances” project is all about. For us at DVV Inter - national , thi s projec t ha s a ver y hig h priorit y becaus e i t deal s wit h on e of , i f no t the , centra l futur e issue s facin g humanity . An d i t doe s s o i n a uniqu e internationa l allianc e o f adul t educatio n institution s tha t hav e mutuall y enriche d eac h othe r i n partnershi p an d – supporte d b y individua l expert s – hav e compile d thi s guidebook. We hope that the concepts and models presented here will be widely used, and that we will b e able to support participating organisations and many others in using it in the future . Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the German Federal Ministry of Education and Re - search for funding the project. Our thanks also go to the extremely dedicated project team of Mirja Buck - besch, Eva Heinen and Anne Lukas, as well as to the partner organisations and individuals who made thi s project a success .

Introducti on

Dear Readers , With the Guidebook SustainabALE and the complementary working tools, we aim to support organisation s of Adult Learning and Education (ALE) in implementing a holistic, sustainable organisational developmen t process in accordance with the Whole Institution Approach. The models and good practice examples pre - sented here were developed as part of the BMBF-funded project “ International ESD Alliances ˮ. Initiated b y this project, twelve ALE organisations from seven countries have embarked on the process of sustainabl e organisational development. In addition to the DVV International project team, the ALE organisations wer e each accompanied by a process facilitator from a team of seven experts. The experiences were collected , evaluate d an d reshape d int o a two-par t mode l o f a Whol e Institutio n Approac h fo r adul t education . Th e results of this three-year WIA laboratory are presented in this Guidebook : W e begi n wit h a n introductio n t o th e concept s o f Educatio n fo r Sustainabl e Developmen t (ESD ) an d th e Whol e Institutio n Approac h (WIA ) an d giv e yo u a n insigh t int o ou r projec t wor k i n th e followin g chapte r “ The International ESD Alliances ˮ. We then present the two-part model of a Whole Institution Approac h i n adul t education , whic h consist s o f fou r priorit y area s an d a five-phas e model . Whil e th e priorit y area s focus on the content of the WIA, the phase model describes the process of sustainable organisational de - velopment in detail. The descriptions and explanations are interspersed with examples of implementatio n from our partner organisations, and thus provide you with a good insight into how this is done in practice . In the final chapter, some of our non-European project partners share their perspectives on ESD and th e WIA, and lastly we receive an assessment of the significance of transformative education in the Europea n political context . To accompany the Guidebook, we have created a workbook and additional practice-oriented tools that wil l make it easier for you to implement your own WIA process. All materials are available to you free of charg e in the ALE Toolbox from DVV International . W e woul d lik e t o than k al l allianc e partner s involve d fo r thei r outstandin g commitmen t an d th e grea t trus t the y hav e place d i n us . Thei r courag e an d wealt h o f idea s le d t o thi s grea t collectio n an d gav e u s an d many other network partners inspiration and motivation. Last but not least, we would like to thank the alli - ance partners for the many wonderful hours we were able to spend together, online and on the study tri p to Sweden . We hope readers enjoy exploring this brochure. In all chapters you will find links or QR codes to further reading and to the accompanying work materials .

Education for Sustainable Development: Shaping Our Co mmon Future

Our common Future

Education for Sustainable Development: Shaping Our Co mmon Future

ES D aim s t o advanc e learner s t o becom e critica l an d reflectiv e individuals . Thi s lead s t o institutiona l an d socia l transformation s tha t promot e sustainabl e economics , politics , lifestyle s an d societies . Ke y principle s derived from ESD experiences include : Balancing competencies in knowledge, socio-emo tional skill s, and behaviou r Encouraging a dynamic process of reflection, anticipation, sh arin g, and actio n Recognising the importance of individual efforts lead ing to the transformatio n of whole in sti tutions and the entire community Emphasising community-based learning, promoting inter-generation al learn ing to involve stakeholders of all ages in shaping a sustainabl e future To advance the practices of ESD, our efforts need to encou ra- ge active citizenship e ngage ment to foster social pa rti cipation and political decisio n-making . Also , we mu st estab lish l inks with the broader communi ty and stren gthen lo cal as well as globa l networks. The Sustai nable Develo pment Goals (SDGs) serve as a gl obal ag enda for 2030. ESD is a dri ver of these g oals by fostering the acqui sition o f scientific and lo cal knowl edge, skil ls, and competencie s, en ablin g e ffective co llabo ration t o a ddress local and global cha lleng es. UNESCO, th e lead ag ency for ESD, identifies five priority action areas under “ESD for 2030,” focusing on policy, learning environments, educators, youth, a nd local -level actio ns. The COVID-19 pandemic exp osed the vuln erabil ity of o ur society, und erscoring th e importance o f mu- tual cooperation in creating a better and resi lient pla net. Furthe rmore, th e current chall enges p osed by climate change, politi cal tensi ons, and armed co nflict call for a renew ed commi tme nt t o “our commo n future.” Reflecting on the acti ons we have taken and co nsideri ng future steps i s essentia l in sha ping a sustain able an d prospero us world for gen erations to come.

ESD for 203 0

Education for Sustainable Development: Shapi ng Our Common Future “We borrow environmental capital from future genera ti ons with no in te ntion or prosp ect o f rep aying. They may damn u s for ou r sp endthrift ways, but they can neve r co llect on our de bt to them. We act as we do because we can get away with it: future generations do no t vo te ; th ey have no po litical or financi al power; the y ca nnot chall enge ou r d ecision s.” (Brun dtland Re port p. 2 5) “Our   Common   Future,” the prominent report published in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission, re- mains the cornerstone of our efforts in promoting Education for Sustain able Develo pment (ESD). The rep ort h ighli ghted the pressi ng nee d to addre ss unsustai nable practice s o f al l nations as they draw h eavily o n environ mental reso urces, jeopa rdising the future for subseq uent gene rations. Th e concep t o f Educatio n fo r Sustainabl e Developmen t (ESD ) was introduced by UNESCO to encompass not only environmen - tal concerns but also socio-economic challenges, such as povert y reduction , peac e an d conflic t resolution , gende r equality , healt h care , an d huma n rights . Th e UNESC O Decade of ESD, which began in 2005, marked an international commitment to integrate education on globa l policy issues to achieve sustainable development across past, present, and future contexts. Since then, vari - ous commendable practices have emerged to foster ESD through tailored approaches and the involvemen t of local stakeholders . Anchorin g ES D alon g th e entir e educatio n syste m i s o f particula r importance . Fo r instance , school s hav e embraced cross-curriculum management, interweaving various subjects to create a comprehensive learnin g experience. They incorporate the study of environmental issues not only in science but also in language an d music classes, fostering dynamic engagement through inquiry-based and project-based approaches to ad - dress sustainable issues. This empowers students to become proactive in finding solutions to environmenta l and societal challenges. For example, they can identify vulnerable populations such as individuals with disa - bilitie s o r thos e fro m divers e cultura l background s throug h communit y mappin g exercises . Adul t educatio n and community learning centres organise advocacy programme and issue-based learning activities, promo - ting socio-economic and environmental resilience such as poverty alleviation, coping with an aging society , and disaster risk reduction. There is an emphasis on comprehending climate change as a global issue an d preparing communities with essential plans, such as robust evacuation strategies . ES D initiative s incorporat e sustainabilit y issue s int o staf f developmen t programme , fosterin g a sens e o f accountability and social consciousness through corporate social responsibility and values that prioritise so - cietal well-being alongside commercial profits. This allows them to become relevant and authentic partner s for educational institutions. Higher education and research institutions actively engage in ESD activities an d provid e valuabl e scientifi c finding s tha t contribut e t o evidence-base d policymaking , benefitin g overal l edu - cation systems. Furthermore, universities introduce ESD into national and transnational teacher education .

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9

Whole Institution Approach: Creating Spaces to learn and experience Sustainab ility

Whole Institution Approach: Creating Spaces to learn and experience Sustainab ility

UNESC O Roadmap ESD

Whole Institution Approach: Creating Space s to learn and experience Sustainability

Whether intentionally or not, people in educational institutions learn at all times - in the hallways, in the can - teen, in conversations with other participants and, of course, as part of educational programme. For coher - en t sustainabilit y learning , i t i s thu s crucia l t o conside r th e entir e institution , includin g th e spatia l an d socia l environment , th e “normal ” everyda y activitie s jus t a s th e educationa l programme . Th e concep t o f a Whol e Institution Approach picks up on this understanding: Educational institutions become experiential space s of sustainability learning, where social, ecological and economic sustainability is practically experienced an d collaborativel y enacted . I f th e importanc e o f th e environmen t f o r learning is not considered, the opposite can quickly happen: Th e educationa l programm e i s abou t climat e justice , bu t th e building , the grounds or the catering, for example, convey that fossil ener - gy , th e constan t consumptio n o f mea t o r th e us e o f disposabl e product s ar e completel y norma l an d acceptable . I t ca n giv e th e impression that topics such as climate protection or social justic e are only talked about, but not acted upon . In contrast, a Whole Institution Approach encourages management, employees, lecturers, learners and part - ners of the educational institution to embark on a joint journey to bring sustainability to life in their workplac e and as a place of learning. The global and local sustainable development goals, such as climate protection , biodiversit y conservatio n an d socia l justice , becom e a cor e componen t o f organizationa l developmen t an d the everyday life of the institution - from procurement to personnel development, communication, the opera - tion of buildings, catering and, of course, as part of the educational programme. Such a development is no t a one-off intervention, but an ongoing learning process involving various groups in and around the institution . Thi s proces s focuse s o n th e join t negotiatio n o f conflictin g goal s an d th e developmen t o f context-specifi c approaches, especially when financial resources are limited. A recent survey of around 3,000 young peopl e and teachers conducted by the national ESD monitoring team in Germany shows the effect of aligning place s o f learnin g wit h sustainability : Th e mor e learner s an d educator s experienc e sustainabilit y i n th e sens e o f a whole institution approach at their educational institutions, the more empowered and motivated they feel t o contribute to sustainability - and the more they act sustainably themselves (Holst, Grund & Brock, in review) .

Syste mic Overview on the WIA in Sustainabil ity Science

EU Commis- sion  for the EU Working Group Schools: Learni ng for Sustainabi lity

POLITICAL FRAMEWORK

UNESCO‘s ESD p rogramme “Education fo r Su sta inabl e Devel opment: Achie ving the Globa l Sus- taina ble Develo pment Goa ls - ESD 2030ˮ came into force i n 2020 . The roadmap cle arly empha- sies the key role that ESD pl ays i n a chievin g the SDGs. To this end, UNESC O defin es five pri ority action a reas that continue the ma in focus areas of the Globa l Action Prog ram (2015-2 019):

Priority action area 2 focusses on the holistic transformationments in line with sustain abili ty criteri a: “To encourage learne rs to be come ch ange agen ts wh o have the knowl edge, me ans, w illin gness a nd co urage to take transformative action for sustain able devel opment, learning institu ti ons ne ed, themse lves, to be transformed. The entire learn ing institution nee ds to be al igned with su s- taina ble develo pment p rincipl es, so tha t learn ing content and its pedagogies a re reinforce d b y th e way faci lities are managed and how de cisions are mad e wi th in the in sti tu - tion. This whole -institution appro ach to ESD ca lls for lea r - ning environmen ts wh ere l earners learn what th ey live and live what th ey learn.ˮ ( )

Advancing Policy

Transforming learning environments

Build ing capacities of educators

Empowering and mob ilizin g youth

Accelerating local level actions

The importance and meani ngfulne ss of a Who le Institution Approach for coheren t sustai nabil ity l earnin g is also bei ng recog nised in p olitics: The me mber states of U NESCO, the Europ ean Uni on, and natio nal gove rnments, have committed themse lves to strengthe ning the de velopme nt of sustainable learni ng lo cation s i n th e sense of the w hole institutio n approa ch i n all areas of education .

UNESC O Roadma p ESD, p. 2 8

SDG4: Inclusive and equ itable quality education

In many places, the first ste ps toward s a holistic ESD ap proach have alre ady b een taken: Outmoded structures, such as the diffe rentiation i nto various pro gramme area s a t adult edu cation centres, are beg innin g to give way to more comp rehensi ve models; peop le are pu rsuing interdisci plina ry optio ns, reaching out and seeking new venue s and coo peration pa rtn ers. The stru ctu red ESD process in AL E institutions often be gins with in tro spection: What resources are a lready ava ilabl e, a nd what do we stil l need for o ur own ESD visio n? Di scussion fol lows on actio n and solu ti on ori entation, d emocracy, g lobal contexts, target group orientatio n or diversity, a nd these co ncepts are then in corporated i nto th e mission statement, strategic development goals, programme planning and the type o f ed ucationa l offe r. Th rough this proce ss, ad ult educators an d participa nts b ecome pio neers and so cial role mo dels.

QUALITY EDUCATION Target 4.7: “By 20 30, ensure that all learners a cquire the kno wledg e and ski lls need ed to promote sustainable development, including, among o th ers, through educa ti on for sustaina ble d evelop- ment and sustainable lifestyles, h uman ri ghts, g ender e quali ty, p romotion o f a cul tu re of pe ace and non-violence, global citizensh ip and ap preciatio n of cultural d iversity and of cul tu re’s contri- bution t o su sta inabl e develo pment.”

The Role of ESD in Ad ult Education Publicly-funded a dult learn ing and e ducation which i s o pen to al l respond s d irectly to th e demand ra ised by SDG 4: Providing quality education for everyone . Thanks to adult learning a nd educa ti on orga- nisati ons such as Volkshoch schulen , a ll citizens can p ursue lifelong lea rning o pportuni ti es whi ch are close to h ome, diver- se, target group -oriented an d relevan t to everyd ay life. Adult learning and edu cation can pro mote ESD in particul ar th rough dive rse target groups since AL E pro grammes are ope n to e ver- yone a nd thus also pro mote intergen erationa l learni ng. As lifelong learning is a key prerequi site for sha ping a sustain a- ble society, the broad-based provisi on of ALE organ isations is ano th er core co mponen t of sustainab le development. If the institution also a cti vely promotes in te gration, as Vol kshochschu len in Germany do through language and integ ration course s a s wel l as scho ol-lea ving qua lification s a nd basic ed ucation, they also d irectly incorp orate other SDGs such as SDG 10 (Re duce i nequa lities) into their wo rk. Tra di- tionally, one focus in adult learnin g and e ducation h as th erefore bee n th e social di mension of su sta ina- bility. The topic of ESD has also taken centre stage in the a dult educa ti on land scape a t Euro pean le vel, for example, when “Adult learn ing and the green tran sition” were ch osen as the annua l to pic for E AE A 202 3, a s w ell as throug h various Erasmu s+ p artnership p rojects. ALE institutions have vi sibly expa nded the e cologi cal di mension of th eir ed ucationa l prog rammes in recent yea rs. These in itiatives h ave inclu ded repai r cafés, d o-it-yoursel f a nd upcycli ng as well as tra di- tional environmental education topics a nd informa ti onal even ts on cl imate and energ y saving. An nual topics are based on in dividu al SDGs, an d in cookin g courses, particip ants discuss the carbo n fo otprint of the foo d they use. Environme ntal L earnin g D ays or Weeks are a lso he ld to encoura ge learne rs t o think about different aspects of sustainab ility and how the ir everyday lives can con tri bute toward s a more sustainable future. Adult learning a nd educa ti on must take a d iffe rent ap proach to daycare cen - tres, schools and universities, and first convi nce an d a ttract p articipan ts with their offering s be fo re the ESD triad of “head – he art – ha nds” can be full y i mplemen te d. This is an other reason w hy th e institutio - nal component of ESD is an important factor. Effo rts and a spiration s to become mo re sustainab le, fo r examp le, in pu rchasing d epartments or eve nt p lanni ng, must be clearly commu nicated to particip ants and visitors of the i nstitutions in ord er t o b e perceive d as authen ti c d rivers of tra nsformation pro cesses. ALE institutions can capitali se on th eir ro le i n thi s area , since their particip ants come on a vo luntary basis and are intrin sically motiva te d fo r furthe r e ducation a nd new exp erience s. In the German ALE landscape, there are nati onwid e practica l exchan ges, nationa l con fe rences and network groups that serve to provide fu rth er tra ining for colle agues o n ESD and the SDGs. The mo st daunting chal lenge s for ALE in the imp lementatio n of ESD are time an d mone y. Experi menting in the educational environment, d evelop ing visi ons and ini ti ating change takes time. ALE also n eeds fu nds to hire new and train existing staff, and to further deve lop mode rn infrastructure for the future.

Robin Gosejohann, PhilanthrOffice These find ings are ba sed on resea rch work that identifie d possibl e success an d inhib iting factors in the context of the results obtai ned in the project. In addition to a docume nt a nalysis, qua litative intervi ews were also conducted with selected partner organisations in the su m- mer of 2023 .

3 Course offerings A broad programmatic range as w ell a s metho dolog ical an d di dactic flexi bility are further factors tha t favour a WIA in o ne’s own organ isation. Spe cialise d ALE organ isations, whi ch often h ave a narrow thematic focus, can ben efit from an expa nsion of their metho ds and commun ity-oriented fo rmats, for example by cooperating with other (civil socie ty) actors an d th us also tappi ng in to n ew target group s. Organisations that are already thematically diverse can in turn inte grate the variou s a spects of su sta ina- bility i nto all formats (e.g. vocationa l, tech nical, pol itical, civic edu cation), and al so make a contribu ti on to the 2030 Agenda with interdiscipl inary app roaches to the UN Sustai nable D evelop ment Go als. 4 Language & communicatio n When implementing a WIA, the communicati on of an ALE orga nisation , both interna lly a nd external ly, holds great potential and draws together essential condition s for success. Fo r examp le, th e sustainab i- lity concept a s a WIA aspect ca n certainly offer a compe ti ti ve advantag e over other ed ucationa l i nstitu- tions, since sustainability particularly appeals to both le arne rs a nd teachin g sta ff. I n turn , in te rnal co m- munication allows management to go beyond directives to explain the in tro duction of WI A, promo te i ts benefits and motivate e mploye es. A delib erate and increa singly commu nicated p ositioni ng of th e orga- nisati on and its courses with refere nce to the incre asingl y well-kn own SDGs underl ines the aw areness and agility of an organisation . Stron g, cl ear interna l communica ti on sup ports th e develo pment proce ss within the organisation eno rmously. 5 Networking Another factor that favours the implementation of a WIA is excelle nt networkin g within and ou tsi de the local authority or region . This networki ng does no t ha ve t o be li mited to ESD or sustaina bility expl icitly. Rather, i t is strong partners and netw orks th at faci litate the imple mentation of many sustai nabil ity mea- sures, e.g. through synergies in the e ducation p rogramme, or in pu blic rela ti ons and lo bbying w ork. In summary, it can be said tha t sol id fundin g, i nclusive access, clear mana gement structures, goo d inter- nal and external communica tion, incl usive pro gramme o ffe rings that reflect an app reciation o f d iversity, are conducive, and i ndeed indi spensab le, for succe ssfu l impleme ntation. If these con ditions are lacki ng, they can be considered inhibiting facto rs i n th e literal sen se and vice versa . Once ag ain, the manag e- ment of an orga nisation hold s a ke y re sponsib ility: Manag ers must d rive and steer the cha nge proce ss intelligently. If they do not do this, o r i f the managemen t le vel even op poses it, me mbers of man agemen t themselves become a decisive inh ibiting factor.

WIA success Factors: an Analysis of the Frame- work Conditions in Adult Learning and Ed ucation The implementation o f a holistic an d sustainab le organi sationa l devel opment (Whole Institutio n A p - proach, WIA) rep resents an a gile, con sciously app lied, structured ch ange pro cess within a n orga nisa- tion. Successful WIA i mplementation in adu lt le arning and educa ti on (ALE) i nstitutions places comple x demands on process d evelopment. WI A g oes far beyond th e indivi dual orga nisation , b ut a lso begi ns right there within the organisation itself. When introduci ng WIA in ALE in sti tu ti ons, it is imp ortant to consi der whethe r the re are framew ork conditio ns tha t favou r imple mentation and w hich factors can contribute to successful implementation. ALE institutions can be divided into fo ur type s: public, s pe cia- lised, private and commercial . The different types are subject to different finan cing and admini stra ti ve structures and are subdivided in to a va riety of l egal forms (e.g. part of the local authority, se lf-run org a- nisations, clubs or associations). Ultimately, howeve r, it can be said tha t the type of leg al form is not a factor that favours or hinders the implementation of a WIA, b ut i t d oes i nfluence th e sp ecific sco pe fo r action. Rather, factors such as motiva ti on, financia l security, a ccess for disa dvantage d groups to e duca- tional fo rmats a nd the internal organ isationa l structure pl ay a role in the imp lementatio n of the WIA. In general, the fol lowin g factors can b e iden ti fied that can favour the impl ementation of a WIA within ALE institutio ns: 1 Financi ng Long-term financial security, e .g . thro ugh fun ding from the lo cal go vernment or the state, enab les finan - cial and human resources to be freed up for the implemen ta ti on of lon g-term projects a nd proce sses. Money alone is not a prere quisite for su ccess in imple menting the WIA. Ho wever, financia l security is necessary in order t o b e able t o focu s o n overarchi ng issues. Conve rsely, consisten tl y high or increa sing finan cial pressure on an ALE organi sation can le ad to a revi ew of p riorities. The motivation a nd ba sic mood that are important for the successful implemen ta ti on of WIA in an orga nisation , as well as commu - nicative openness, a lso suffer from constantly unce rta in fundin g. It i s the refore essentia l fo r a dult edu- cation organi sations t o ha ve fundame ntal, l ong-term finan cial security, i ncludi ng for internal p rocesses, and the opportunity to inve st in o rganisa ti onal de velopme nt p rocesses. 2 Management structure The management and control o f an adult e ducation org anisatio n is a key fa cto r i n the orga nisation al flexib ility requ ired for WIA. In most ad ult ed ucation orga nisation s, the numbe r of freel ance staff is sig- nificantly higher than th at of the perman ent employe es. Thi s means that th e org anisatio n is run and managed by a comparatively small er te am of perma nent emplo yees. I t is primari ly th ese perman ent employees w ho meet and eng age in regula r commun ication; p ermanen t employe es are natura lly more closely integrate d into the tradition al hie rarchical structures than extern al freel ance staff. This hig hligh ts the question of the changeability an d adaptab ility of d ecision -making pro cesses: fo r a su ccessful im- plementation of WIA, i t is necessary to define an d specify a deci sion-maki ng framework. In th e sampl e, this framewo rk i s u sually de cided by the ad ministration , the bo ard or at manage ment level. This ma- nag ement level mu st consciously de sire the WIA imple mentation a nd ensure the necessa ry d ecision s. Without the motivatio n of manag ement, a hol istic devel opment appro ach cannot b e realise d. Mo reover, the empl oyees nee d a clear and u nequi vocal commitmen t to the proce ss.