Centre for Academic Practice, Trinity Teaching & Learning

Contact Us Centre for Academic Practice
Room 3.06
3-4 Foster Place
Dublin 2
Ireland

View the contact page for more contact and location information

academicpractice@tcd.ie

Welcome to our Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Hub.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is an educational approach that aims to support learners in acquiring knowledge and competencies that will enable them to work and live in a sustainable society, one where the planet’s finite resources and vulnerable ecosystems are preserved for current and future generations. ESD is a crucial enabler of the UNESCO defined Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

ESD at Trinity

The Trinity Sustainability Strategy 2023-2030 (p. 10), envisages that the Trinity curriculum will facilitate students to develop key competencies for sustainability as outlined by UNESCO and the European Commission, and that opportunities for professional development will be made available to all those who teach at Trinity. 

Trinity’s ESD initiative aims to empower Trinity students and staff to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to act as agents of change, individually and collectively, in working for sustainable development within planetary boundaries. 

Within this Hub, we provide resources and toolkits that help teaching staff embed ESD into the Trinity Curriculum. The first section outlines the rationale behind ESD and explains how Trinity implements it. To support curriculum design, we then present and explore the Trinity ESD Curriculum Design Framework. This framework forms the basis of the steps required in identifying ESD themes, competencies, and teaching, learning, and assessment strategies. 
The hub also contains a Quick Start Guide for those encountering ESD for the first time, and  examples from the disciplines within Trinity.

Our Quick Start Guide is designed for colleagues who may be encountering the SDGs and ESD for the first time. While ESD is a dynamic topic in higher education currently, it is important to highlight that changes in a module, or even within a small number of teaching events, can be made in the short term and enable you to step into ESD on a larger scale.

Trinity Entrance & Sustainability

Introduction

Learn how ESD supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals through teaching and learning.
A group having SDG curriculum discussion

Trinity ESD Curriculum Design Framework

Explore Trinity’s framework for embedding SDGs and ESD principles into curriculum design and module planning
Competencies designing

SDGs and ESD Themes

Understand how SDGs align with key ESD themes and how these can be reflected across your teaching.
Discussion on learning outcome

ESD Competencies

Gain an overview of core ESD competencies and how to integrate them into student learning experiences.
Professor explaining the ESD concept

Pedagogical Approaches & Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Strategies

Discover practical strategies to support ESD competencies through aligned teaching, learning, and assessment approaches.
Teaching Materials for ESD

Teaching Materials for ESD

View a range of open teaching materials that you can reuse in your teaching practice.
Samples from other discipline

Examples from the Disciplines

See how various Trinity disciplines apply ESD and SDG themes through real-world curriculum examples.
Guide to Embedding

Quick Start Guide

Access quick tips and guidance to begin embedding ESD into your teaching with ease.