Engaging youth to be part of the sustainability solution

Education for sustainability

Creating a sustainable world through education drives positive change for everyone. Established in 1981, the Foundation for Environmental Education has over 40 years of experience in education for sustainable development. They are one of the largest global environmental education organisations, with members in 81 countries.

Their strategic plan, GAIA 20:30, focuses on addressing key environmental concerns, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, through educational programmes. 

Empowering youth for environmental action

FEE’s three educational programmes empower young people to create an environmentally conscious world using a solution-based approach.

Eco-Schools is the largest global sustainable schools programme. It starts in the classroom and expands to the community by engaging the next generation in action-based learning. HundrED has selected Eco-Schools three years in a row as part of 100 inspiring innovations that are changing the face of school education today.

The Eco-Schools Seven Steps methodology helps schools to maximise the success of their sustainability goals. The method involves the entire school community, and students play a primary role.

Learning about Ecosystems and Forests (LEAF) advocates outdoor learning and hands-on experiences to give pupils a deeper and more involved understanding of the natural world. Participating countries encourage schools to work on the different LEAF themes following the LEAF Pedagogical Cycle.

The Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) programme gives young people (aged 11–25) a platform to research environmental issues and promote solutions through investigative reporting, photography and video journalism. YRE has created several learning resources for teachers and students on topics such as misinformation and fake news.

This year, FEE is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Eco-Schools and YRE programmes. They are also highly engaged in the Greening Education Partnership, where they are co-leading Pillar 1 work on ‘Greening Schools’.

FEE is one of European School Education Platform’s supportive partners.