The 2012 course of ESD Leadership Training has begun!

WHAT is that?
The ‚Leadership Training in Education for Sustainable Development‘ is in its 2nd year, following a successful pilot year in 2011. It gives students training in leadership, as well as exposure to ESD practices in other countries, expert opinions and a small introduction to the German language!

WHO is taking part?
It involves 20 young professionals from the sustainability sector, arriving from Germany, Mexico, South Africa and India. Experts in this field will act as mentors, and also originate from these four countries.

WHY is it important?
This programme creates a learning environment within which young participants can open their minds, going beyond the experiences in their home countries and seeing how ESD comes to life in other, often very different, cultures and environments.
It also gives students the chance to create a Project to take back home with them and implement, all the time supported by the network formed during their time in Berlin.
And they get to come to Berlin! To mix with so many different people, to live in a big city, to live independently and to develop their knowledge on a subject they are already passionate about.

WHERE is it happening?
The initial 10 weeks of training will take place in Berlin, Germany.
Following this, participants will compete a 2 month internship in one of the participating countries of their choice.
On their return to Germany, the course will continue with 3 more weeks of training, before students head home to put into practice all that they’ve learnt.

WHEN – What is the timeline?
The first week (24th Sept – 28th Sept) was the 5th Annual Meeting of the International ESD Network, giving new participants the chance to mix with the ‚First Generation‘ of students, as well as the experts they will be working with in the future.
The course will officially begin on the 15th October, and learning will continue up until Christmas. Participants will return from their internships to Berlin in March, and three weeks later return to their home countries to implement the Innovation Projects designed during their stay in Germany.

So that’s a quick introduction to the course!
Check back for daily updates on this blog, let’s see what the group can come up with in their first 10 weeks…