Building green competences among students requires more than just adding sustainability to the curriculum. According to the GreenComp framework, one of the most effective strategies is adopting a Whole Institution Approach (WIA)—a holistic method that embeds sustainability into every part of school life.
What is the Whole Institution Approach?
The Whole Institution Approach recognises that schools are not just places of learning but living communities. It encourages sustainability to be reflected not only in what is taught but in how schools are run, how decisions are made, and how students, staff, and external partners interact with their environment. It transforms the school into a model for sustainable living and working.
Why is the WIA so Effective?
The rationale is simple: experience drives understanding. When students actively engage with green practices—whether through reducing waste in the cafeteria, conserving energy, or participating in sustainability projects—they internalise these values. For Vocational Education and Training (VET) students, who often work or intern in real-world settings, this approach creates powerful ripple effects. They carry what they learn into workplaces, potentially influencing and even transforming long-standing practices in their industries.
Imagine students from a hospitality school introducing sustainable sourcing or waste reduction strategies in their internships. The potential for impact multiplies.
A Community of Practice: Learning Together Across Borders
Our Erasmus+ partnership recognised this potential when we launched our trans-European project GreenVET Pathways to support VET schools in implementing a Whole Institution Approach. We set out to do two things:
- Develop freely accessible tools for any school interested in adopting a WIA.
- Work closely with a group of pilot schools, supporting their journey and learning from their experiences.
We formed a Community of Practice (CoP) with 13 VET schools from Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Latvia, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. Together, we explored how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) could be implemented holistically. Through three online workshops and a three-day in-person training in Finland, educators collaborated on action plans tailored to their unique contexts.
One inspiring example: an Egyptian and an Italian hospitality school teamed up to explore the implications of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for their sector.
From Planning to Action
As a result of this collaboration, each participating school developed a Whole Institution Action Plan and has already started implementing initiatives across various levels of school life—curriculum, campus, governance, and community engagement.
VET schools across sectors implemented diverse sustainability actions. In Cyprus, schools collected used cooking oil and promoted zero-waste cooking. In Germany, schools maintain apple orchards, organize ESD Days, and run clothing swaps. Latvia focuses on composting, waste sorting, and environmental education. Italy explores solar energy and aeroponics. Greece promotes SDG-based cooking and rooftop gardening. In Egypt, a sustainable farm using Hugelkultur raises awareness on composting. Slovenian schools tackle food waste and solar feasibility studies, while Riga instals water stations and involves students via Eco Councils.
Introducing the GreenVET Pathway: Tools for Every Step
Our work doesn’t stop with the Community of Practice. GreenVET Pathway is designed to support VET schools across Europe and beyond on their journey toward sustainability.
Here’s how we’re helping:
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GreenVET Database (https://www.green-vet.eu/content/database.php):
A searchable platform for sharing useful resources—from online tools to school-developed materials. Access is open, and contributing requires just a simple registration.
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Green Futures Framework (https://www.green-vet.eu/content/framework.php):
A guiding document exploring the intersections of the European Green Deal, GreenComp, (Vocational) Education for Sustainable Development, and the Whole Institution Approach. It offers VET educators a strategic overview and practical entry points for action.
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GreenVET School Survey (https://www.green-vet.eu/content/pdf/en_annex.pdf):
A survey template that helps schools assess their sustainability profile. It includes questions for students, staff, and school leadership, helping to engage the entire community from the beginning.
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GreenVET Pathway Platform (under development):
This upcoming platform will provide templates, best practices, and inspiration for implementing the Whole Institution Approach. It aims to make sustainable transformation manageable and actionable.
Join the Pathway
All tools are freely available online, most of them not only in English, but also Italian, Latvian, Slovenian, German and Greek, enabling schools to gradually incorporate sustainability into their daily practices—and raise their sustainability profile step by step.
Explore further:
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