NVL has gathered 10 recommendations from three Nordic institutions who provide or promote education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles in the Nordic region.

The recommendations are developed as part of NVL’s pilot project about “Normalization of more sustainable lifestyles”. Read more about the project here.

The participating organisations are

• SYKLI Environmental School of Finland: A national specialist vocational college. Sykli’s mission is to reinforce environmental knowledge and improve our customers’ operations in line with sustainable development objectives.
• RELEARN Suderbyn in Gotland, Sweden: RELEARN promotes ecological lifestyles by focusing on holistic education and models for socio-ecological sustainability. Its main areas of work being: (1) action research and innovation, (2) non-formal education for youth and adults, and (3) networks and cross-border cooperation.
• Folkehøgskolene, Norway: The five national folk high school organizations in Norway adopted a sustainability resolution in 2019 to support the UN’s sustainability goals. Folkehøgskolen’s statutory purpose is general education and public information, and here it is natural that the sustainability goals come into play.

The 10 recommendations are

1. Be brave – you can learn from mistakes
2. Let go of your expectations about direct results
3. If it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable! Follow your passion
4. Plan (a bit) and do research-based action
5. Every living person and organism knows something about sustainability, even if not framed as such or communicated yet—create spaces for expression and room for listening.
6. Reflect! Evaluate. Rethink. Act!
7. Be an example
8. Imagine the future and be aware of the past
9. Create supporting structures to help you stay on track
10. Talk to your local politicians

Each recommendation is illustrated with examples from the participating organisations in the online publication here: NVL: Practical advice for educators and institutions doing or planning education for sustainable development (fremtenkt.no)

These are first findings from an ongoing project. The organisations will continue their collaboration and try to bring forth also issues linked to content and teaching / learning practice.

Contact NVL’s Network for Sustainable Development

Henrika Nordin
+358 443 531 813
henrika.nordin@bildningsalliansen.fi