About the project

• Background

  Our approach seeks to embed sustainability meaningfully in all aspects of an institution or organization that connects with education, teaching and learning in both more formal and more non-formal and informal ways. In school settings, a WIA is typically called a Whole School Approach, while in higher education settings it is sometimes called a Whole University Approach.

  Whole school approaches (WSA) and whole institution approaches (WIA) are conceptual frameworks designed to guide the development and implementation of sustainable practices across entire educational organizations, ranging from early childhood centres to vocational schools and universities. These approaches involve all stakeholders, including staff, students, and community members, recognizing that every aspect of an institution contributes to sustainability.
  WSA and WIA are grounded in the concept that every facet of a school or institution is intertwined and holds the potential to foster sustainability. This encompasses various elements such as curriculum, organisational development, leadership and management, cultural norms, operational procedures, professional growth opportunities, and community engagement efforts.

  Formal vs. non-formal, informal education

  We consider the WIA to include both formal education institutions, like (pre)schools and vocational schools (here people tend to speak of a Whole School Approach) and universities (e.g. Whole University Approach) and organizations that also work on sustainability, sometimes in connection with formal education (but not necessarily), but are not a part of formal education (for instance, visitor centers, community centers, NGOs, local government organizations, environmental education centers, lifelong learning centers). Sustainability here is broadly understood to include topics related to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Goal

  To develop and implement a strategic policy framework on Whole Institution Approaches to Sustainability (WIA/WSA) for ESD, across the European member states, within 2026.

Participants

• Participants from NMBU
• Expert group

  • Aravella Zachariou (Cyprus Ministry of Education and Fredrick University)
  • Mandy Singer-Brodowski (Universität Regensburg, Germany)
  • Niklas Gerricke (Karlstad University, Sweeden)
  • Jorrit Holst (Freie Universität Berlin)
  • Daphne Goldman (Beit Berl College, Israel)
  • Jan Činčera (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic)

Publications