Breaking Barriers for a Sustainable Future

Introducing the CircularCityChallenge Method in Sustainability Education – Article

The CircularCityChallenge (CCC) teaching method tackles the challenges of understanding sustainability by overcoming key divides—ecological, social, and spiritual—that impede progress towards a more sustainable and equitable future. It emphasizes the need for a shift in awareness and collective leadership. This method empowers students to identify sustainability issues within their communities, analyze stakeholders’ needs, and develop solutions that are both socially equitable and environmentally fair.

We tested the CCC method in a one-day workshop in Trofaiach, Austria, with 28 students aged 14. Using Otto Scharmer’s Theory of Divides, we analyzed learning outcomes and measured the method’s effectiveness in overcoming ecological, social, and spiritual divides. The results indicate that the CCC method successfully enhances students’ understanding of local sustainability issues and their ability to participate in policy making and participative design processes.

We invite you to download our article, which delves into the origins of the CircularCityChallenge Method in Sustainability Education. The article outlines the methodological steps and discusses its strengths and weaknesses based on the results of our pilot workshop. The study informs actions for holistic sustainability education and enhancing the quality of participative policymaking processes. We hope you find it insightful and engaging.