Sustainability & Outdoor Education
AZORES IMPACT LAB - Active Citizenship, Sustainability, Leadership & Positive Schools
6 days
The Azores Impact Lab (A.I.L.) is an immersive outdoor course designed for educators who want to create meaningful change through education, sustainability, and active citizenship.
Set in the unique volcanic landscapes of São Miguel Island, this experience combines outdoor learning, environmental awareness, leadership development, and positive education into a dynamic and practical training.
Participants will explore how to transform their role from teachers into agents of change, capable of inspiring students, schools, and communities. Through hands-on activities, field experiences, and collaborative challenges, educators will develop tools to promote sustainability, engagement, and wellbeing in education.
This course blends learning by doing, nature immersion, and reflective practice, providing participants with practical strategies they can immediately apply in their schools.
Learning Outcomes
Participants to the course will learn to:
Develop strategies to promote active citizenship in school communities
Learn how to design outdoor and experiential learning activities
Gain tools to teach environmental sustainability in a practical way
Strengthen leadership and teamwork skills through real-life challenges
Improve their ability to foster a positive and inclusive school culture
Enhance critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Explore methods to increase student engagement and motivation
Learn techniques to support wellbeing and emotional balance in education
Design interdisciplinary learning experiences combining sustainability and innovation
Build confidence to lead projects and initiatives in their schools
Programme
AZORES IMPACT LAB - Active Citizenship, Sustainability, Leadership & Positive Schools
Day 1 – IMPACT STARTER: Active Citizenship & Group Energy
Welcome and course introduction
Dynamic icebreakers and group connection
Setting personal and professional goals
Presentation of participants and schools
Active citizenship in action: from ideas to impact
Identifying local environmental and social challenges (Azores case)
Reflection: How can I empower students to become active changemakers?
Day 2 – GREEN LAB: Sustainability & Nature Awareness (Furnas)
Guided visit to Furnas volcanic ecosystem
Outdoor climate change education
Visit to interpretation center
Nature observation in Terra Nostra Park
Developing intuition, awareness, and active listening
Reflection: How can we transform sustainability into real learning experiences?
Day 3 – BLUE EXPERIENCE: Ocean Learning & Biodiversity
Whale and dolphin watching experience
Marine ecosystems and biodiversity awareness
Wildlife conservation and education
Sharing best practices in outdoor education
Reflection: How can we inspire students to protect life on Earth?
Day 4 – LEADERSHIP BOOST: Teamwork & Real-World Action (Vila Franca do Campo)
Leadership through action: practical group challenges
Team-building and problem-solving activities
Planning and executing a cleanup activity (beach/park)
Strategies for impactful leadership in education
Reflection: What makes a leader in education today?
Day 5 – POSITIVE SCHOOL LAB: Culture, Wellbeing & Engagement (Gorreana)
Visit to Gorreana Tea Plantation
Learning from sustainable production systems
Workshop: building a positive school culture
Student engagement, wellbeing, and conflict resolution strategies
Reflection: How can we create schools where students thrive?
Day 6 – FUTURE MAKERS: Outdoor Learning & Action Plan (Ponta Delgada)
Outdoor educational challenge in Ponta Delgada
(STEAM, storytelling, problem-solving, civic competence)
Designing an action plan for your school
Group presentations and feedback
Final reflection and course wrap-up
Certification and validation of learning outcomes
Materials, digital tools & other learning resources
Course participants will receive training and engage in exercises designed to develop their skills as trainers. The provision of additional materials or resources will be determined based on the course structure and the instructor’s approach to meeting the learning objectives
Course package content:
Services and activities included in the course package are those described above. Please note that accommodation, transport, and meals are not provided.
Cancellation & changes:
Common sense prevails when it comes to cancellations, which are analyzed on a case-by-case basis.