In the project EmpowerESD: Education and sustainability coaching for university transformation, the HRK, in collaboration with the netzwerk n, is working towards embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) throughout the entire higher education landscape. This cooperative project is funded by the BMBF from June 2024 to May 2026. The project aims to accelerate the implementation of ESD in university teaching and to establish the netzwerk n's "Wandercoaching" program at universities. Additionally, a self-sustaining financing model for Wandercoaching will be developed and implemented.
As part of the project, across the higher education landscape EmpowerESD promotes cross-status group collaboration at universities to initiate participatory and institution-wide sustainable transformation paths.
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EmpowerESD is integrated into other HRK activities promoting ESD.
The Wandercoaching is a peer-to-peer coaching format in which student initiatives have the opportunity to expand their skills. The focus of the coaching is on content-related, strategic and methodological competencies.
The topics during the Wandercoaching are tailored to the needs of the student initiatives. In addition to addressing climate justice and sustainability processes, students learn to critically reflect on and transform power structures.
The coaching supports student initiatives to develop and manage transformation pathways towards sustainability at their universities. By participating in coaching, students not only strengthen their ESD skills but also contribute to the university's overall capacity to implement ESD effectively.
The netzwerk n trains around 15 students each year to become Wandercoaches. After completing their training, these coaches travel from university to university and support student initiatives in developing practical solutions for social, economic and environmental sustainability challenges.
In 2022, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) awarded the Wandercoaching program the "Nationalen Preis – Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Kategorie Multiplikator*innen". This national award recognizes the Wandercoaching´s outstanding role in promoting ESD, particularly for its effectiveness in training and empowering students who can spread and implement sustainable practices.