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Second Online Workshop of our Community of Practice

The year started off very dynamically for our project, as on January 28, the 2nd online workshop was successfully held with the participation of more than 20 members from VET schools in Germany, Slovenia, Latvia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. The meeting was attended by VET students, VET teachers, VET administrators and experts. The focus was placed on the progress that our VET schools have made so far on their path to sustainability, as well as the challenges they have encountered.

The event kicked off with a welcome and icebreaker session, setting the stage for participants to get familiar again with the process of an online session and establish a productive and chilled atmosphere. Following this, the focus shifted to "GreenVET teams in action", where all participating team members provided updates on their progress and ongoing initiatives in their VET schools. This segment, structured in breakout rooms, allowed for more interactive and in-depth discussions as we got to see firsthand the problems that need to be addressed.

A key segment of the event was experts sharing their insights on tackling challenges on the way to sustainability. Three distinguished speakers—Katarina Sandbacka (Vamia Vocational College, Finland), Stefan Nowatschin (BBS 1 Uelzen, Germany), and Karl Geller (BS Mindelheim, Germany)—provided brief but impactful presentations on critical aspects of integrating sustainability into vocational education. Each expert provided their expertise and experience concisely and to the point. Immediately after the presentations, participants chose an expert to follow to their assigned breakout room to seek advice and guidance for the continuation of their sustainable activities. Each expert led a specific discussion:

  • Katarina Sandbacka focused on how to involve students effectively in sustainable VET initiatives.
  • Stefan Nowatschin discussed strategies for convincing management and involving colleagues in the process.
  • Karl Geller explored how to start projects that have a real impact in the long run.

These discussions were integral to equipping participants with actionable strategies to enhance their sustainability initiatives.

After the breakout rooms sessions were completed, the participants reconvened to share insights from their breakout discussions. The session emphasized collective learning and knowledge exchange. This was finally followed by a brief segment on documenting successful activities as best practices, ensuring that impactful initiatives are recorded and shared for broader benefit.

The 2nd Online Workshop gave new motivation to the participants as well as to the project leaders to continue their important work and to realize their vision. Next on our schedule is the launch of our online database on our website and the third online workshop in April. The specific date for the workshop has not yet been determined. Stay tuned for more.