How can you involve the community in sustainability education?

In my experience, it is crucial to first understand how a community works, relates to each other, and how/ if they define “sustainability” as it is a term that is used often and has different meanings. For example, in indigenous communities - sustainability is simply a value that is embedded in their way of life, a way of life that could be rapidly changing / is being impacted or encroached upon by environmental and other societal or technological advances.

Identificar las necesidades de la comunidad es un paso crucial para cualquier programa educativo, y especialmente para aquellos enfocados en la sostenibilidad. La adaptabilidad y la flexibilidad son esenciales para abordar de manera efectiva las preocupaciones y expectativas variadas de la comunidad. Al usar métodos participativos, no solo obtenemos información valiosa, sino que también fomentamos un sentido de pertenencia y compromiso entre los participantes. Este enfoque colaborativo asegura que el programa sea relevante, útil y tenga un impacto duradero en la comunidad.

Don't gatekeep – the loudest voice isn't always the one with the best answer. As the founder of a mission-driven company focused on tech-enabled fashion care and repair in the circular economy, here's how we're fostering sustainability education: 1. Amplifying Voices: We don't just share our perspective; we actively share and reference resources on platforms like #LinkedIn for more impactful discussions. 2. Diverse Collaborations: We partner with stakeholders, from large summits to grassroots workshops and educational institutions, fostering an ecosystem that amplifies sustainability through various perspectives and insights. Embrace diverse perspectives and cultivate relationships to power true sustainable innovation.

A few ideas for collaborative workshops and games on different topics: -The Climate Fresk -The Biodiversity Collage -The 2Tonnes Workshop -The Living Soil Workshop -The Digital Collage -The Plastic Fresk These are all very informative and fun sessions you can run as part of team-building events or training.

Through my social enterprise, Sustainability Tribe I have been educating communities for past 14 years. And one of our most popular program is Ambassador program when community member can participate, complete challenges and become our Ambassadors. It's necessary to educate and inspire positive actions. And that is the sucess of any sustainability education program. Participatory methods give the necessary nudge for behavioral change. And that's why gamification or challenge-based programs are helpful. Along with participation, giving them responsibility and ownership also works. Our Ambassador program combines all these aspects and that is one of reason why it is popular.

Using storytelling is a very effective way to connect with the community or audience. Share your messages through clear and impacting experiences that illustrate what you are trying to explain. I went to a High School class and talked about how important technology is in today's world and that I worked to help companies improve their business and impact in society using technology. And then I conducted a practical "hour of code" session. This made me understand its power to communicate, and now I am preparing an "hour of sustainability" session.

There are many possibilities for ground-up initiatives. A good way to start could be connecting with educational institutions, interest groups, professional organisations or social enterprises that have an interest in sustainability.

Indeed, this is immensely important — connecting with reality beyond our own 'walls'. Collaborating with experts and local organizations is crucial to establish legitimacy and ensure consistency. Sustainability is a systemic issue; we cannot tackle it alone

Engaging with the local academic institutions and sharing real life application and implementation of ESG initiatives are important. Instead of learning from theories alone, sharing actually experiences paint a much richer picture n bring realism to the students experience

Focusing on local issues, you can emphasize practical skills such as gardening, recycling, and energy conservation. By creating a decentralized community structure, we should aim to encourage everyone to take responsibility. In these established communities, every individual should share and contribute to their responsibilities.

Sustainability is defined in many ways. Ownership falls under that as well. To walk away from a program only to watch it fail is a waste of time and resources. Allow community members to continue providing the education needed and implement solutions to their challenges in a meaningful way by allowing ownership to sit within the community it supports.

Some ways to get the community involved include asking for feedback, ideas, or proposals for your program. You could also involve some members of the community as leaders to help facilitate your program.

I find that building a network can really make a difference when trying to spread the word on the relevance of sustainability. I’ve found that the sustainability community is extremely supportive and willing to collaborate with each other 🍃

A real-life example--that many will likely be familiar with--of this approach can be seen in "The Ocean Cleanup" project by Boyan Slat. They built a global network of volunteers and partners to tackle ocean pollution. Through online platforms and partnerships with NGOs and governments, they harnessed collective energy to make a considerable impact on ocean cleanup.

Solving either meaningful material ESG issues or more sustainability-focused challenges can be done through public-private partnerships and in consortiums. These networks are critical for the movement of capital, organized value chain efforts, and coordinated global improvements. One caveat to be aware of, however, is that you need to be aware of anti-trust issues when partnering with your competitors. As long as you operate openly and transparently without exclusions, you should be safe, but always check with your legal counsel.

Community engagement could be tricky. The key is reaching to actual individuals: Collaborate with Local Schools: Partner with local schools and educational institutions to introduce sustainability programs. Work with teachers to integrate sustainability topics into the curriculum and involve students in related projects. Community Gardens: Establish community gardens where residents can learn about sustainable agriculture practices, organic gardening, and food production. These gardens not only educate but also promote community bonding.

I personally built several communities and I could see the impact over time of changed behaviours in a positive way. People share more, borrowing and are conscious about "not wasting". In Bali, I help connect different actors through events and this is to foster more collaborations across different organisations and change-makers.

Asking learners to analyze, critique and call out the BS and then discuss their analyses with each other would be a quick group effort to level up. This article is an example of calling out the contradictions in policy https://storm-asia.com/disposable-buildings-and-sustainable-development-goals-in-jeopardy/