News & Blogs

‘Harnessing the Power of Partnerships in Learning for Sustainability

Thu 28th November 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

We, and our partners at YouthLink Scotland, recently welcomed over 40 change-makers with a stake in Scotland’s education system at a creative round-table event to discuss; ‘How can we harness partnership approaches to Learning for Sustainability to support Scotland’s aspirations around education reform and the Scottish Attainment Challenge?’


LfS Connect: Learning for Sustainability and Initial Teacher Education

Tue 19th November 2024 - Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

Our LfS Connect session, delivered in partnership with GTC Scotland on 14th November 2024, offered participants an opportunity to hear more about and discuss ‘Learning for Sustainability and Initial Teacher education’


Join us – LIVE at COP29!

Mon 11th November 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Young people

We’re delighted to be running our FREE ‘Live at the COP’ MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) once again. Join us, and a global community of learners like you, from 11-24 November.


Pupils Lead Climate Crisis Talks in Edinburgh COP29 Simulation

Fri 1st November 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

More than 90 secondary school pupils from 13 schools gathered at the University of Edinburgh on 31st October; stepping up to face the same critical decisions that will confront global leaders at the forthcoming COP29 climate conference in Baku.


Supporting international collaboration on education for sustainable development: the 2024 RCE Europe Regional Meeting

Wed 2nd October 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, RCE Network

Learning for Sustainability Scotland staff recently travelled to Germany to participate in the annual meeting of Regional Centres of Expertise in Europe.


Challenging Conversations: supporting young people in engaging with controversial equity and sustainability issues

Wed 2nd October 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Young people

In today’s complex and uncertain world, young people are constantly faced with making decisions about a wide range of controversial issues that provoke strong, varied and often contradictory responses. On 01 October, we, and our partners at YouthLink Scotland, welcomed participants from across Scotland and a guest speaker from ScotDEC to discuss and consider what this means for educators.


LfS Connect: Leading a whole-setting approach to Learning for Sustainability

Fri 27th September 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Our latest ‘LfS Connect’ session on 26th September 2024 offered participants an opportunity to hear more about, and discuss ‘Leading a whole-setting approach to Learning for Sustainability’….


Responding to the national consultation on Post-School Education and Skills Reform legislation

Fri 20th September 2024 - Blog Posts, Further and Higher Education, News, Policy Advice and Responses

On Wednesday 04 September, participants joined us and EAUC Scotland to hear more about and share their views on the Scottish Government’s Post-school education and skills reform legislation: consultation.


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

Tue 10th September 2024 - Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, 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 07 October.


Welcoming our new Director

Fri 5th July 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, LfS Scotland Updates, News, RCE Network, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals, Task Group News, Young people

It’s a time of change here at Learning for Sustainability Scotland.

We’re delighted to welcome our new Director, Dr Beth Christie, as our current Director, Professor Pete Higgins, steps down this summer after eleven years in the role.


LfS Connect: introducing the Learning for Sustainability Book Club!

Fri 21st June 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Initial Teacher Education, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

The LfS Connect session on 20th June 2024 offered participants an opportunity to hear more about, discuss, and share their favourite LfS-related reading and resources in our brand-new Learning for Sustainability Book Club.


Learning for a better world – an introduction to Learning for Sustainability in Youth Work

Thu 20th June 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Young people

On 19 June, we, and our partners at YouthLink Scotland, welcomed participants and guest speakers from across Scotland to discuss and share more about Learning for Sustainability in the youth work sector…


Learning for Sustainability: Addressing the climate/nature emergency through Scottish schools

Wed 19th June 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Further and Higher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Sustainable Development Goals

The following article was published on page 16 of the Spring 2024 edition of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s magazine. In it, Professor Pete Higgins from The University of Edinburgh and Learning for Sustainability Scotland shares his thoughts on Learning for Sustainability in Scotland’s schools.


LfS Connect: Coaching and mentoring for LfS

Sat 1st June 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Our LfS Connect session on 30th May 2024 offered participants an opportunity to hear more about and discuss ‘Coaching and Mentoring for LfS’.


Education for Sustainable Development Topic Support Network: Sustainability competencies, skills, and graduate attributes

Wed 15th May 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education

The Education for Sustainable Development Topic Support Network, co-hosted by Learning for Sustainability Scotland and EAUC Scotland, met on 02 May to discuss how to integrate the development of sustainability competencies into day-to-day practice in further and higher education. Catch up on this event by having a look at the minutes and summary file and slides, or watch the recording.


‘Telling your Story’: monitoring and evaluating the impact of your Learning for Sustainability activities

Mon 13th May 2024 - Blog Posts, Communities, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Schools and early learning & childcare settings, Young people

How can we evidence the impact of our Learning for Sustainability activity in an effective and engaging way?

We were delighted to welcome participants to our online session on 09 May, which was delivered in partnership with colleagues from the Royal Highland Education Trust and the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network.


LfS Connect: Responding to the ‘Call to Action’ in secondary settings

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

Our ‘LfS Connect’ session on 25th April 2024, delivered in partnership with GTC Scotland, offered participants an opportunity to hear more about and discuss ‘Responding to the LfS Call to Action in secondary settings’.


Join the Learning for Sustainability conversation with our ‘LfS Connect’ sessions

Wed 17th April 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Further and Higher Education, Initial Teacher Education, News, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Join us and the General Teaching Council for Scotland at our monthly ‘LfS Connect’ online sessions to connect with other practitioners and contributors to share, celebrate and discuss more about Learning for Sustainability and what it means for you, your practice, your setting and your wider learning community.


LfS Connect: Practitioner enquiry and Learning for Sustainability

Fri 22nd March 2024 - Courses & Events Summaries, Initial Teacher Education, Schools and early learning & childcare settings

Our latest Connect session on 21st March 2024, in partnership with GTC Scotland, offered participants an opportunity to hear more about and discuss ‘Practitioner enquiry and Learning for Sustainability’.


Responding to Scotland’s ‘Good Food Nation’ consultation

Thu 21st March 2024 - Blog Posts, Courses & Events Summaries, Policy Advice and Responses

On Wednesday 20 March, participants joined us and Nourish Scotland to share their views on the Scottish Government’s national Good Food Nation Plan. This consultation is open to everyone across Scotland until close of business on Monday 22 April 2024. We will publish our response in due course.


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.