As part of the European project AELIA – Advancing Education for a Sustainable and Inclusive Green Transition, two capacity-building workshops were successfully delivered in Cyprus to support education leaders and educators in embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into everyday practice and whole-institution planning.
In Cyprus, AELIA’s training activities were organised and facilitated in collaboration with CARDET and the Unit for Education for the Environment and Sustainable Development (EESD). Together, they reached both strategic decision-makers and classroom practitioners, highlighting the importance of aligning leadership, planning, teaching and community engagement.
On 26 June 2025, an online professional development session titled “Teaching for Sustainability: Educators as Catalysts for Real-World Change” was delivered via ZOOM. The training brought together 50 education professionals from Cyprus, including teachers across educational levels and trainers from non-formal settings such as NGOs and lifelong-learning centres. Participants had completed the AELIA MOOC in advance, enabling the live session to focus on hands-on application. Educators explored the GreenComp competence framework, discussed ways to integrate sustainability into teaching and school operations, and learned how to use AELIA’s digital resources, including tools and a crowdsourcing platform that supports collaboration and project development.
Cyprus-based NGOs also shared practical examples of school-community initiatives related to circular economy and plastic reduction, providing inspiration and pathways for future partnerships. Working in groups with facilitator support, participants designed small-scale sustainability initiatives tailored to their own contexts and exchanged constructive feedback. Proposed ideas included projects such as “Garden to Breakfast,” “Used-Oil to Clean-Hands,” “Swap & Sew Wardrobe Week,” and “Community Waste Relay,” demonstrating creative and realistic solutions that can be implemented in schools and communities.
Through these Cyprus workshops, AELIA continues to empower education leaders and educators as change agents. strengthening institutional capacity, enriching teaching practice, and supporting the transition toward a more sustainable and inclusive society.