Spending time in Iceland is by far not just about experiencing its breathtaking landscapes; for me it’s also about facilitating learning, supporting building communities, and driving sustainability education initiatives. As part of my ongoing educational mobility under the ‘Growing Green Together’ project, I’ve been facilitating a range of workshops, sessions, and discussions—with a strong focus on environmental sustainability, mental well-being, and community-based learning.
From Reykjavík to Flateyri: A Journey of Learning and Sharing
Starting my mobility in Reykjavík, we explored sustainable fashion through a Fashion Treasure Hunt, engaging with second-hand stores, upcycled fashion initiatives, and sustainable business models. This wasn’t just an exploration—it was a structured activity, a learning session, where we analyzed how similar concepts could thrive in Slovakia too.
One of the key moments in Reykjavík was the educational collaboration with Circa Iceland, an adult sustainability education organization. I facilitated a session using various tools and resources, from The Ease Zone cards and The Life Cycle of a T-shirt game to The Game of Oceans, ensuring that these materials could be integrated into the future educational activities and projects of our partner organization.
Empowering Learning in the Westfjords
Relocating to Flateyri in the Westfjords, my educational mobility expanded. Every day brought a new opportunity to engage, facilitate, and inspire. Whether it was guiding self-reflection sessions, facilitating project management training, or leading fundraising workshops, I tried my best to make sure that learning was interactive, engaging, and applicable.
One of the highlights was hosting a workshop at the Folk School in Flateyri, where I introduced Slovak Eco Quality’s sustainability-focused educational games and tools. The engagement from young adults was incredible—it was clear that gamified learning makes sustainability education more accessible and fun. At the same time, exploring Erasmus+ opportunities—both at the individual and organizational level—became a hot topic. Together with the learners and with support from the school, we’ll follow up by holding a design thinking session to further develop these ideas and turn them into community-driven, impact-oriented projects.
Sustainability Beyond the Classroom
Learning doesn’t stop at formal sessions. Iceland’s culture of sustainability and well-being naturally integrates into everyday life, which I actively brought into my mobility. From having a clothing repair workshop to leading a coffee brewing session, I turned small daily rituals into structured educational moments. Even my engagement with the local community—whether at the outdoor geothermal pool, through crocheting circles, or at documentary screenings on permaculture—became an extension of my educational path here in Iceland.
Looking Ahead: The Journey Continues
This educational stay is far from over—there’s still another month of facilitation, mentoring, and immersive learning ahead. With upcoming workshops, collaborative projects, sustainable treasure hunts and community-driven initiatives, the focus remains on empowering individuals—including myself—to take action for sustainability, whether through personal habits, education, or collective change.
Iceland is not just inspiring me—it’s shaping the way I facilitate, and advocate for lifelong learning in sustainability and well-being. As this journey continues, I’m excited to see how these experiences will evolve into new initiatives, collaborations, and meaningful educational tools for the future—not only in Iceland and Slovakia, but far beyond.
The Growing Green Together project is funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union.
