Learn Act Engage Create: a four-step approach to engage higher education students in sustainability

To achieve a cultural change towards sustainability in Higher Education, we need a holistic approach to learning and teaching for sustainable development that incorporates the formal, informal and subliminal curricula and goes... [ view full abstract ]

To achieve a cultural change towards sustainability in Higher Education, we need a holistic approach to learning and teaching for sustainable development that incorporates the formal, informal and subliminal curricula and goes beyond simply defining a set of behaviours and skills that students should graduate with, to challenge the values of students, staff and the institution.

University of Bristol Students’ Union (Bristol SU) received £175,000 of the NUS’ Students’ Green Fund to develop Get Green - a two-year project which aimed to transform student attitudes and behaviours towards sustainable development. The team developed a four-step approach - Learn Act Engage Create - to engage students in economic, social and environmental sustainability. The approach was underpinned by active learning theory and maximised peer-to-peer engagement; it  involved students engaging with ESD through their formal curriculum and then building on their experiences by participating in, and leading, projects and campaigns outside of their course.