SustainEd Final Conference: Empowering Students and Educators for Europe’s Green Transition
On 6 November 2025, Milton Friedman University hosted the Final Conference of SustainEd, an Erasmus+ project dedicated to strengthening green competences across European higher education. The event gathered academics, researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to advancing sustainability through innovative and practice-based learning.
A Timely Debate on Climate, Youth and Responsibility
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Prof. Dr. Henrietta Nagy, who introduced SustainEd as a project designed to empower young people and educators to “think, create, and act for a more sustainable future.”
Two keynote presentations framed the day:
- Dr. András Szeberényi explored generational patterns of climate anxiety, emphasising how education can help transform concern into constructive engagement.
- Dr. Nene Siphesihle presented circular and long-lasting technological innovations in Africa, highlighting pathways for sustainability grounded in affordability and real-world impact.
These reflections grounded the SustainEd outputs in global and societal realities, reinforcing the need for meaningful, action-oriented sustainability learning.
Presentation of the SustainEd Outputs
1. SustainEdX — The Sustainable Learning Experience Toolkit
Presented by Admira Boshnyaku (ACTA Foundation)
SustainEdX offers students an immersive learning experience through WebQuests and Living Labs, enabling them to analyse real environmental challenges, work with local organisations, prototype green ideas and strengthen their autonomy and critical thinking.
Pilots across partner universities showed remarkable results: learners demonstrated increased motivation, deeper understanding of circular economy and sustainability topics, and stronger confidence in applying eco-innovation practices.
2. SustainEdM & SustainEdG — Resources for Educators
Presented by Konstantinos Kourkoutas (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
SustainEdM – Teaching Manual
A comprehensive teaching manual supporting educators in implementing WebQuests and Living Labs through:
- step-by-step guidance,
- digital and face-to-face facilitation strategies,
- adaptable assessment tools,
- practical templates developed during pilot testing.
Educators participating in the LTTA noted significant improvements in their digital teaching competences and confidence in sustainability-focused pedagogy.
SustainEdG – Design Guide
Complements the manual by helping educators design new sustainability-related learning scenarios using:
- design-thinking approaches,
- living lab methodologies,
- collaborative and challenge-based formats.
Together, these resources support educators in creating meaningful, engaging and impactful sustainability learning.
A Complete Pedagogical Ecosystem
The three outputs form a coherent ecosystem for universities wishing to embed sustainability into curricula:
- SustainEdX empowers students through hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
- SustainEdM builds educators’ capacity to facilitate active learning.
- SustainEdG enables the design of future sustainability experiences tailored to local and institutional needs.
Project Impact Across Europe
Over its implementation, SustainEd achieved extensive impact:
- 180+ students and educators enhanced their green competences.
- 15+ lecturers improved their sustainability and digital pedagogical skills.
- Partners strengthened cooperation with companies, improving the real-world relevance of learning activities.
- Challenge-based and experiential pedagogies were adopted across multiple European institutions.
- A lasting transnational network now supports ongoing collaboration in sustainability education.
Final Reflections and StoryTellme’s Contribution
As the conference drew to a close, participants reaffirmed a shared understanding: Europe’s green transition depends on stronger bridges between education, industry and local communities. SustainEd has demonstrated how such collaboration can take shape in a meaningful and lasting way.
As a dedicated project partner, StoryTellme contributed by designing videos, creating WebQuests, supporting dissemination efforts, and integrating storytelling and design-thinking approaches into sustainability learning. Since its establishment in 2014, StoryTellme has been recognised for its creative educational methodologies, combining personalised learning, visual communication and non-formal education.
“Taking part in SustainEd allowed us to apply these strengths while advancing our commitment to a more sustainable and innovative European future. SustainEd strengthened a belief that sits at the heart of our mission: when learning brings together imagination, collaboration and real-world challenges, it becomes genuinely transformative. We look forward to continuing this work, extending the reach of the project’s outcomes, and ensuring that its tools and methods remain alive in classrooms, communities and creative spaces across Europe. “ — Teresa Valente, Manager of StoryTellme
Explore the SustainEd Outputs
All toolkits, manuals and resources are freely accessible at: