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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

“Making Learning for Sustainability a key driver in the future of Scottish education will not only enable us to heed the call to action from learners but will allow us to achieve much more besides. All of our policy ambitions in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, climate and net zero, biodiversity, circular economy, and economic and social transformation can only be delivered with the commitment of Scotland’s people, supported throughout their education.”

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.

Ahead of its forthcoming ‘Call to Action’, we held an event with YouthLink Scotland, Education Scotland and Stirling Council on 28th September, to discuss and examine the Plan and ways in which to:

  • Understand the context and content of the refreshed Scottish Government LfS Action Plan and its relevance to youth work
  • Consider how youth workers can engage with the LfS Action Plan’s Target 2030 ‘Call to Action’
  • Identify opportunities for connecting and collaborating with others and between sectors (e.g. communities/ youth/ schools/ colleges/ universities)
  • Share relevant planned activities, resources and strategies that will support young people.

You can watch and read the outputs from the session by clicking on the links below:

  1. Welcome and introduction – Betsy King. Learning for Sustainability Scotland
    • An overview of the ‘big picture’ around the new Plan
  2. Setting the scene – Julie Beckett, Education Scotland
    • Hear more about what the Plan means for youth work and CLD practitioners, as well as signposting to resources and opportunities for sharing your practice.
  3. Engaging with Learning for Sustainability through youth work – Andrea McFarlane, Stirling Council
    • Watch a case study of Learning for Sustainability in practice; followed by a Question and Answer session with all of the presenters.
  4. Group discussions – plenary feedback from group facilitators
    • participants considered the following questions:
      • Initial reactions to the Action Plan, from a youth worker perspective
      • What are the opportunities for youth workers to get involved?
      • Are there any perceived challenges? What support will be needed?
    • Click here to view the feedback from the discussions.

Click here to view the slides from the webinar.

Click here to view a summary of the discussion boards that participants added to during the webinar.