Gaia Education is a non-governmental organization associated with the United Nations that develops education for sustainable development. It offers the Design for Sustainability curriculum that teaches inner and outer skills to redesign human presence sustainably. The curriculum integrates social, ecological, economic, and worldview dimensions. Gaia Education has supported over 190 programs in 34 countries, reaching thousands of people, and works with various partners to bring solutions to communities globally.

1. www.gaiaeducation.net
Gaia
education
The Park Findhorn
Forres IV36 3TZ
United Kingdom
NGO Associated with UN Department of Public Information. Present in over 30 countries.
info@gaiaeducation.net
www.gaiaeducation.org
Supported by
Company Limited by Guarantee | Registered in Scotland No 353967 | Scottish Charity No SC040839
Gaia
education
developing curricula to empower change makers with inner and
outer skills to redesign human presence in a sustainable world.
facilitating the delivery of transformative learning programmes
in response to emerging needs.
disseminating grass-roots wisdom through learning communities.
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Gaia Education promotes a holistic, systems approach to
education for sustainable development by:
Gaia Education’s Design for Sustainability curriculum integrates the
social, ecological, economic and worldview dimensions of
sustainability, providing an education which is universal in scope and
local in application.
Gaia Education offers state-of-the-art study guides, training manuals,
books, webinars, presentations and a quarterly newsletter to facilitate the delivery of on-line
and on-site transformational learning opportunities for community development.
Since 2006, Gaia Education has successfully supported the delivery of more than 190
programmes in 34 countries over 6 continents, reaching thousands of people. Its programmes
have been offered in settings ranging from tribal women and traditional communities to children
and youth, ecovillages, urban slums, universities and resilience training centers.
Gaia Education works in partnership with global educators, government and nongovernment
agencies, ecovillages, universities, and the United Nations to bring sustainable development
solutions to communities and ecosystems everywhere.
Gaia Education’s flagship curriculum is an official contribution to the
UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
HolisticWorldview
BuildingCommunity&
EmbracingDiversity
CommunicationSkills
Empowerment
Leadershipand
Art, Ritual and Social
Transformation
and Activism
Education, Social Networks
towards SustainabilityShifting the Gobal Economy
RightLivelihood
LocalEconomies
CommunityBanks
andCurrencies
Legal&FinancialIssues
ReconnectingwithNature
Transformationof
Consciousness
Personal&PlanetaryHealth
Socially Engaged Spirituality
Green Building and
LocalFood,NutrientCycles
Infrastructure,Water
andEnergy
ation,DisasterRecovery
Nature&UrbanRegener-
WholeSystemApproach
toDesign
Retrofitting
andDecisionMaking
Soci
al
Wo r l d
view
E c o l o
g
ical
Econ
o
m
i c
Gaia Education’s Publications
The Gaia Education Design for Sustainability Curriculum has a wide range of practical application
and is full of innovative materials, ideas and tools that have been developed and tested in ecovillages,
communities, and urban transition settings worldwide. Its available for free in 7 different languages.
Download the Design Curriculum from gaiaeducation.net
The 4-Keys are four comprehensive books offering an overview of cutting-edge thinking on design for
sustainability at local, regional and global scales. Under UNESCO Patronage, the books offer widely
applicable solutions to the complex problems of climate change, resources scarcity, carbon reduction
and community resilience.
The Teacher´s Guide - Design for Sustainability & Gaia Youth Activities Guide are practical manuals
for teachers, ecovillage and community design educators and facilitators who are conducting courses
on the broad transitioning agenda. Therefore, these manual cover theoretical knowledge and
practical activities arranged around the 4 dimensions of sustainability, making learning
comprehensive, practical and fun.
Online Donation
You play a vital role. Your donation supports the creation of original, challenging, and compelling
responses to the most pressing predicaments emerging from the economic, environmental, and social
crises we have ever faced. Your help affirms that our communities can thrive in resilience and the
planet can continue to sustain life. Please make a donation when you visit www.gaiaeducation.net
Social Key
Beyond You and Me
- Inspiration and Wisdom for Building Community
Economic Key
Gaian Economics
- Living well within planetary limits
Ecological Key
Designing Ecological Habitats
- Creating a Sense of Place
Worldview Key
The Song of the Earth
- A Synthesis of the Scientific and
Spiritual Worldviews
At the Cutting Edge of Sustainability Education

2. Choose from onsite programmes worldwide, or study online with a global community!
Learn how to design for resilient lifestyles with experts from the best research and development centers in the world!
Gaia Education´s integrated holistic Curriculum approach.
to create a common vision for a collective project
to improve their communication skills and communicate in a
more compassionate way, including through digital literacy
to use consensus to make decisions that everybody can accept
to deal with conflict and diversity – of ideas, beliefs, roles, etc.
to map the network of connections needed for their projects
In the Social Dimension students learn...
to assess the impact of the global economy on their community,
and how to shift it towards a more sustainable local economy
to find out economic opportunities, and develop them within the
frame of a social enterprise
to create a complementary local currency
to create an in-depth business plan
to find ethical financial opportunities for their projects
In the Economic Dimension students learn...
to make a whole-systems design of a sustainable project
to use base maps and other designing techniques
to calculate carbon footprints and design projects to be carbon neutral
to design a whole water system for their projects
to apply green building principles in their projects
In the Ecological Dimension students learn...
to have a regular spiritual practice (meditation, prayer, etc.)
to write a diary with their dreams, insights, and observations
to create a deep connection with Nature through personal experience
to create rituals for the most significant moments in their projects
to develop a healthy lifestyle: food, body/mind/emotional care,
friendships, etc.
In the Worldview Dimension students learn...
Gaia Education´s programmes.
Ecovillage Design Education (EDE)
Ecovillage Design Education are onsite programmes taking place in sustainable communities
and training centers where local citizens live what they learn. We call this concept “Living and
Learning” - teaching theoretical material applied in local fieldwork, exercises, games and project-
based learning.
Sustainability Education Online (GEDS)
The distance learning courses Gaia Education Design for Sustainability are offered in English,
Spanish and Portuguese. The GEDS programme aims to create a pool of competent, informed
Sustainability Design practitioners with the digital literacy needed to work in teams
across geographic boundaries.
These graduates will have the tools, skills and knowledge necessary to participate in a community/
organization transitioning context. The GEDS is action-oriented and solution-based and is meant to
respond to the needs of real people in real circumstances in a rapidly changing world.
For more information visit: www.gaiaeducation.org
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Project Based Learning (PBL)
Gaia Education also engages with traditional villages in the poorest areas of the globe to bring
training and support in the form of Project-Based Learning initiatives in partnership with local
governments, CIFAL, the Global Ecovillage Network, and international funding agencies.
Some PBL initiatives include adaptation to threats of climate change in Bangladesh, and food
security and livelihood development in India and Senegal.
Join a GEDS Programme in a language suitable to you:
GEDS English & Spanish: geds@gaiaeducation.net
GEDS Português: geds-portugues@gaiaeducation
Gaiaeducation w o r l d w i d e