This spring, the Finnish team of the GATE project, represented by Laurea University of Applied Sciences, participated in the Eco‑Educator Day of Vantaa’s basic education. The event focused on how sustainability can become a meaningful part of everyday school life through concrete actions, participation, and supportive school structures.
Throughout the day, education professionals shared practical examples of how sustainability is already being implemented in schools: theme weeks, clothing and book swaps, food waste reduction initiatives and pupil‑led activities. Together, these small actions help strengthen pupils’ environmental agency and resilience, while fostering hope and motivation to care for nature.
The discussions inspired reflections on the concept of the nature heartprint – the positive actions individuals and school communities take to improve the state of the environment. While a carbon footprint measures environmental impact, the heartprint highlights everyday choices that support nature and make sustainability visible and achievable.
These insights align closely with the goals of the GATE (GreenComp Assessment for Transformative Education) project, a collaboration between partners from eight European countries. GATE encourages a whole‑school approach to sustainability, supporting schools in embedding green competences into teaching, school culture and daily practices.
As highlighted during the Eco‑Educator Day, education plays a key role in turning sustainability from words into action – proving that small actions can indeed lead to lasting impact.
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(in Finnish)
Luontosydämenjälkeä kasvattamassa – reflections from the Eco‑Educator Day of Vantaa’s basic education