Sustainability Learning Café

Conveners: Stinne Vognæs, University of Helsinki; Laura Riuttanen, University of Helsinki; Janne Salovaara, University of Helsinki; Elina Alatalo, Tampere University; Eija Syrjämäki, Tampere University; Joula Siponen, University of Helsinki, and others associated with Climate University

Keywords: sustainability education, science, collaboration, making, co-creation

Session Description: The Sustainability Learning Café is a meeting place for all academics, practitioners, activists, students, and staff interested and involved in all levels of sustainability education and learning in general. In a nutshell, we see a need for an in-depth conversation, focusing on the current and future themes, issues, and solutions of learning sustainability—thus creating a culture in which sustainability transformation can truly happen. 

The Sustainability Learning Café is planned as an open space, running in alongside the conference parallel sessions 2-6 on Wednesday and Thursday (excluding the main keynotes and other joint sessions). Our aim is to record the conversations and share the accumulated knowledge later on with the SSD audience interested in the themes discussed in the Café. We intend to produce a rich description of the current state and future of sustainability learning in such a format, for example, as practice and research recommendations.

The aim is to create a space for conversation utilising the Learning Café methodology, and revolving around the theme of learning. We will serve specialty coffees, sponsored by Oatly and Cafetoria roastery, for the price of active participation in the conversation. Rather than competing with the conference sessions, or session contributions on sustainability education, we offer our Café as a complementary function. Thus, the Café can also function as a lobby and a meeting spot of sorts for all conference participants.

HOUSE RULES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY LEARNING CAFÉ

1. This is a space of learning and dialogue; participate to the discussion and contribute to the knowledge created.  
2. Participants should note their own session lessons and conveners will fill a session report post-fact, contributing to the open access repository of the Café.  
3. If you don’t feel like you’re adding to the discussion or if you are not learning, feel free to move around. Participation is the price you pay for your coffee and such.
4. Session times are aligned with the rest of the conference; tables can be joined and left throughout the session and if it ends before the time limit, that's okay too.  
5. Remember that this is a co-created experiment and please comply with the safe space guidelines of respect and inclusion. 

Thank you and we look forward to your participation! Please see below for our current Café  schedule. 

Click here for a downloadable version of the schedule!