SYNAPSES presents a vision on how pre-service and in-service programs on teaching for Sustainability Citizenship (SC) could be interrelated and enriched to develop a joint offer with significant European dimension. 

SC has great potential for cultivating agents of change who not only envision, but also enact solutions to climate change. Teaching for SC can stimulate and lead to an action-including decreasing consumption and demand, developing sustainable food and energy sources, exploring nature-based solutions for the current challenges, using school buildings as teaching tools, and the greening of schoolyards. Arguing for a paradigm shift in the way we view education, the SYNAPSES Academy could demonstrate how our education systems can create new levels of awareness and work towards a sustainable future.

SYNAPSES Academy

To ensure and safeguard the long-term impact of the proposed activities, SYNAPSES has set up the Erasmus+ SYNAPSES Academy for school heads and teachers on teaching for SC. A series of training activities at local, regional, national and international level is organised to help teachers to design the most effective and engaging lessons.

These lessons will make use of innovative forms of instruction (inquiry-based, project-based, game-based) and tools (e.g., access to rich scientific data archives, virtual and remote experimentations, animations) in their classrooms. And more generally the training will help teachers think differently about their students’ learning and about the environment, science and technology.

This will be expanded by offering concurrent opportunities for mobilities, such as study visits, job shadowing opportunities, meetings, conferences, and competitions with the goal to enable the SYNAPSES Academy to become a forum for exchange of knowledge, an information hub which will support, develop and promote teaching for SC. A systematic accreditation mechanism will be designed in the framework of the project.

SYNAPSES Portal

The SYNAPSES Community Portal offers a vibrant platform for educators and school leaders to advance sustainability in education. The portal features tailored resources, best practices, and structured learning journeys designed to foster sustainable teaching and leadership. Users can connect with peers locally and globally through dedicated German, Greek, Portuguese, Czech, Swedish, Dutch and international community pages.

By combining online learning with in-person events like the SYNAPSES Summer School, the platform supports a holistic approach to professional development, promoting sustainability in schools and classrooms worldwide.

The portal can be found through https://portal.synapses-academies.eu. Signing up is free and simple and more and more materials will be uploaded in the coming year. 

Project website

Find more information on https://synapses-academies.eu

SYNAPSES Academy Podcast

A twenty minute weekly podcast on the different elements of Sustainability Citizenship in education. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube Music.

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