Learning for Sustainability Scotland
Learning for Sustainability Scotland (LfS Scotland) is Scotland’s United Nations University recognised Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) in Education for Sustainable Development, hosted by the Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh.
LfS Scotland is an open network with more than 700 individual and organizational members in Scotland. We are part of an extensive and growing global network of more than 170 RCEs (September 2019) that share and learn from each other, establishing or strengthening international partnerships and collaboration.
LfS Scotland works actively and co-operatively across all aspects of learning to advance the understanding and practice of Learning for Sustainability in Scotland so it reaches its full transformative potential for change.,
Learning for Sustainability is seen as ‘A whole school approach that enables the school and its wider community to build the values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and confidence needed to develop practices and take decisions which are compatible with a sustainable and equitable society’. GTCS 2013,
Aligned to the GTCS Professional Standards LfS Scotland’s professional learning programmes use innovative, reflexive and potentially transformative pedagogies and curricula that aims to:
- Challenge and deepen values, skills, knowledge and understanding;
- Provide support to enhance professional practice
- Impact positively on learning experiences and outcomes of learners
- Support active review and critical reflection on impact on self, learners and colleagues
- Enable dialogue and collaboration with colleagues within and beyond the programmes
- Encourage development of new practice and leadership of change
Professional learning is delivered via a mixture of face to face and facilitated online programmes designed to meet both national and local priorities for professional learning and leadership in Scotland. They are set in the context of the Scottish Government’s Vision 2030+ Learning for Sustainability Report and Action Plan.
Feedback from participants
‘This awakening in my understanding of connecting real & relevant learning experiences to develop the LfS themes, contexts & approaches coherently has enhanced the effectiveness of my professional conduct, not only in the classroom but as a leader in inspiring my colleagues to embrace this approach too’. Primary teacher, May 2019
‘I am seeing a more consistent approach to adopting a creative approach to make learning in their own class meaningful, equipping our children for this changing world’. Primary teacher May 2019
‘I challenged my teaching style in order to move from teaching where I am taking the lead, to where pupils feel empowered to take the lead and identify a project they want to take forward with myself facilitating/supporting where needed’. Secondary teacher May 2019.