News & Blogs

Effective collaboration for Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability ‘Movement for Change’

Fri 8th March 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

On Tuesday 05 March, we welcomed participants from across Scotland and from a variety of different educational sectors to explore ‘effective collaboration for Scotland’s LfS ‘Movement for Change’.


LfS Connect: Sharing and celebrating our Learning for Sustainability journeys

Fri 1st March 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Initial Teacher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Read more about our latest monthly online ‘Connect’ session for educators: just one of the resources and opportunities available on the GTC Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability Hub.


It’s back! Join a worldwide learning community with ‘Learning for a Sustainable Future’

Mon 12th February 2024 - Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

We’re delighted to announce the return of ‘Learning for a Sustainable Future’; our highly successful online learning opportunity, which has, to date, attracted over 17,000 learners from nearly 160 countries. Starts 11 March.


Shaping the future: responding to the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill

Wed 7th February 2024 - Courses & Events Summaries, Policy Advice and Responses

On 6th February, we held an event with colleagues from Scottish Government on behalf of participants from across Scotland’s educational landscape to explore and shape a response to the current consultation on the proposed Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill. Read more about the discussion and our next steps.


Have your say: the GTC Scotland Learning for Sustainability Hub

Mon 29th January 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Have your say on the GTC Scotland Learning for Sustainability Hub. Share your thoughts and ideas by Monday 19 February.


Connecting and learning together for a better world: celebrating a decade of Learning for Sustainability Scotland at our 2023 AGM 

Mon 15th January 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

This year’s annual gathering and AGM was an in-person celebration of the tenth year of Learning for Sustainability Scotland as Scotland’s UN University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.


Learning for Sustainability Scotland praised as ‘key champion’ by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

Fri 12th January 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

Jenny Gilruth MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, has hailed the contribution of Learning for Sustainability Scotland in its pan-sectoral approach to advancing the skills, knowledge, and values needed for a more sustainable and equitable world.  ‘Learning for Sustainability’ as this kind of learning is known in Scotland, is now more prominent than ever across Scottish education.


Welcoming the Call to Action: realising the ambition of Scotland’s national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan

Wed 6th December 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

It’s official – Scotland’s national Learning for Sustainability Call to Action has been launched and we’re delighted to be playing our part in it here at Learning for Sustainability Scotland.


Award success for Learning for Sustainability Scotland

Sun 3rd December 2023 - Blog Posts, LfS Scotland Updates, News, RCE Network

We’re delighted to announce three recent award successes for Learning for Sustainability Scotland and our partners.


A whole-community approach to education for sustainable development: the 13th Global RCE Conference

Fri 1st December 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, News, RCE Network, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

In November, Betsy King, Development Manager with LfS Scotland, travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to participate in the 17th meeting of the strategic Ubuntu Committee of Peers and the 13th Global RCE Conference.


It’s back! Our ‘Live at COP28’ online course is on its way…

Mon 27th November 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

We’re delighted to be running our ‘Live at the COP’ MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) once again. The course will run during the United Nations COP28 Climate Change Conference which takes place in the United Arab Emirates between 30 November to 14 December.


School students debate the climate crisis at COP28 simulation event

Mon 20th November 2023 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

On 16 November, Learning for Sustainability Scotland, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, welcomed pupils from Scottish and Egyptian secondary schools to take part in the British Council’s COP28 Climate Simulation Negotiation.


Youth Work and Scotland’s refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan – preparing for the ‘Call to Action’

Mon 2nd October 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Young people

We held an event with YouthLink Scotland, Education Scotland and Stirling Council on 28th September, to discuss and examine Scotland’s refreshed national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan ahead of its forthcoming ‘Call to Action’


‘Catalysing a movement for change’: Learning for Sustainability in Scotland

Sun 1st October 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

We recently held an energising round-table event to explore how a movement for change can be catalysed by Scotland’s refreshed national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan’s forthcoming national ‘Call to Action’.


Youth Work and Scotland’s refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan – a roundtable

Thu 14th September 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Young people

On 05 September, YouthLink Scotland and Learning for Sustainability Scotland held a ’round table’ event for key individuals in youth sector network organisations in Scotland to discuss and examine Scotland’s refreshed national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan.


Supporting Scotland’s new Learning for Sustainability Action Plan

Mon 7th August 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Initial Teacher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

We are creating a suite of online opportunities for educators to find out more about the Plan and explore and discuss the opportunities it offers them and their learners. Read on to view more details and reserve your FREE places.


Welcoming the new national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan

Mon 26th June 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

We’re delighted to welcome Scotland’s refreshed national Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Action Plan: ‘Target 2030: a movement for people, planet and prosperity, which was launched on 23rd June at Grove Academy in Dundee by Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.


Monitoring and evaluating Education for Sustainable Development in universities: a new Framework

Fri 23rd June 2023 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News

Measuring, monitoring and evaluating Education for Sustainable Development is an important task. It helps us to show where we are at, the impact we’re having, and find out what and where we need to improve. Find out more about the new Framework from the QAA for higher education institutions.


‘Learning in a changing climate’: a Peruvian-Scottish exchange

Thu 1st June 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

What are the key competencies that students and educators need to engage constructively and responsibly with today’s world, and how can they be assessed?

On Thursday 25th May, we were delighted to welcome partners from University of St Andrews, PRISMA and SAGES – as well as delegates from across a wide range of organisations – to an in-person, bi-lingual intercultural exchange workshop and networking lunch with educators from Peru and Scotland.


Learning for Sustainability and the National Outcomes for Scotland

Wed 24th May 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

On Tuesday, 23 May, in collaboration with the Scottish Government, we held an online opportunity for people to hear more about and be part of the discussion on the blueprint for Scotland – Scotland’s National Performance Framework


Teaching, learning and play in the outdoors: a survey of provision in Scotland in 2022.

Fri 31st March 2023 - Blog Posts, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

A new report from NatureScot and partners has highlighted how Scotland’s children could be offered increased amounts of outdoor learning and play, stimulating a post-pandemic generation’s connection to nature and its benefits.


Teacher education for the green transition and sustainable development: a pan-European priority

Tue 28th March 2023 - Blog Posts, Initial Teacher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Teacher professional learning has been identified as one of the most significant catalysts for bringing innovation and sustainability into our education systems. The EU has formally called for Learning for Sustainability to become a key priority area in education policies and programmes and for support to be given to educators through training and professional development. A new report shares examples of good practice from across Europe – including Scotland.


The role of education in a climate emergency: four key asks from Teach the Future Scotland

Mon 27th March 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

Taking action on climate change is one of the major challenges of our times, and education has a major role to play. Teach the Future has four key asks for policy makers and presented them at a Scottish Parliamentary reception on 22 March.


‘Learning for Sustainability and the National Improvement Framework’ – our latest ‘Connect’ session with GTC Scotland

Fri 24th March 2023 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Our Learning for Sustainability ‘Connect’ sessions have been bringing educators and guest speakers together to network and share since March 2022, and in our latest session, we explored the place of Learning for Sustainability as a core element of the 2023 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan .


Exploring Learning for Sustainability and the Professional Standards: our partnership with the General Teaching Council for Scotland

Fri 17th March 2023 - LfS Scotland Updates, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals

Learning for Sustainability Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) have worked together to create the GTC Scotland Learning for Sustainability Hub: a ‘one-stop-shop’ to support teachers to weave LfS across their practice.


‘Joining the dots’: Educational reform in Scotland and the refresh of Scotland’s national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan

Thu 2nd March 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

It’s #TimeforLfS. At a time of major reforms in Scottish education, we share more about the imminent refresh of the national Learning for Sustainability Action Plan and the opportunities this presents for Scottish education.


Sustainability, employability and youthwork: developing skills for a sustainable and just future

Sun 26th February 2023 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, News

On 21st February, YouthLink Scotland and Learning for Sustainability Scotland were delighted to welcome participants to ‘Sustainability, Employability and Youthwork: developing skills for a sustainable and just future’ – our first webinar for 2023.


Supporting international strategy on Education for Sustainable Development

Thu 19th January 2023 - Blog Posts, LfS Scotland Updates, News, RCE Network

Betsy King, Development Manager with Learning for Sustainability Scotland, is Regional Advisor for the European network of Regional Centres of Expertise (RCEs) in Education for Sustainable Development. In December 2022, she travelled to Japan to participate in the 17th meeting of the strategic Ubuntu Committee of Peers.


‘Inspiring Transformational Change through Learning’: our 2022 AGM & Networking event.

Mon 16th January 2023 - Courses & Events Summaries, LfS Scotland Updates, RCE Network

Our 2022 AGM was held online on 11th January and we were delighted to welcome a wonderfully diverse range of members from across the many educational sectors that comprise the Learning for Sustainability Scotland membership. read on to hear more about this event.


Scottish Government strengthens profile of Learning for Sustainability in the 2023 National Improvement Framework 

Wed 4th January 2023 - Blog Posts, News, Policy Advice and Responses

We warmly welcome the news that the Scottish Government has strengthened the profile and visibility of Learning for Sustainability in the 2023 ‘Achieving Excellence and Equity: National Improvement Framework and improvement plan’ (or ‘NIF’).

Published annually, this document ‘sets out the vision and priorities for Scottish education that have been agreed across the system, and the national improvement activity that needs to be undertaken to help deliver those key priorities.’
We have highlighted some of the key points from this document in this article.


#Let’sTalkScottishEducation: Responding to Scotland’s National Discussion on education

Wed 7th December 2022 - Communities, Further and Higher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

It is a time of change in Scottish education, with warmly-welcomed opportunities to examine, discuss and reflect on system-wide reform. Learning for Sustainability is a key element in these opportunities… [read more]


International award success for Learning for Sustainability Scotland and partners

Wed 30th November 2022 - Blog Posts, LfS Scotland Updates, News, RCE Network, Sustainable Development Goals

We’re delighted to share our recent success in the 2022 Regional Centres of Expertise in Education (RCE) Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Our ‘Agents of Change Toolkit’ received an ‘Outstanding Flagship Project’ award, and our ‘Connecting Youth Work and Learning for Sustainability’ initiative received an ‘Acknowledged Flagship Project’ award.


‘Learning, unlearning and re-learning’: reflections on COP27

Mon 28th November 2022 - Blog Posts, News, Sustainable Development Goals

Dr Beth Christie, Senior Lecturer in Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh, was a delegate at COP27. In this video, she reflects on her experiences at the Conference – and what it means for learners, educators and enablers of learning across the world:


‘What I did in my holidays’ by Laura, aged 36: reflections from the 2022 RCE Europe Regional Meeting

Wed 9th November 2022 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, News, RCE Network

Laura Curtis-Moss is Vice-Chair of the Learning for Sustainability Scotland Steering Group and our Youth Co-ordinator. In this blog, she reflects on her recent participation in the 2022 RCE Europe Regional Meeting.