NEB-LAB Eco² Schools
29 June - 4 July 2025
Schools as Enablers of the New European Bauhaus
The New European Bauhaus highlights that:
- Societal values are strongly formed by public models, this is also true for It is therefore important to demonstrate exemplary solutions at frequently used buildings like schools, universities and science centers. Europe is dependent on having high-quality education spaces for its future generation. The use of educational buildings as frontrunners will help to increase the market penetration of high performance retrofit approaches. The 100% carbon-free school building must become the standard of the future.
- Schools and educational buildings in general can act as an incubator for innovation and creativity to drive sustainable design across Europe and beyond, that is also appealing and affordable for all citizens. Schools could act as hubs that will network practitioners from across disciplines and mobilise creative minds to reimagine how sustainable living could and should be in the future.
Based on the principles of the New European Bauhaus, the NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Summer School will showcase ways to create a building that inspires forward-looking, inquiry-based learning, and a sense of ownership among students and building stakeholders alike. Furthermore, it will demonstrate that educational organizations (schools, universities, science centers) can act as drivers for the development of green neighbourhood “living labs” (Designing project-based, experiential learning led by schools with parents, local businesses, the wider community).
The course is organised in cooperation with the Synapses Academy. 
The NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Summer School aims to demonstrate that Educational Buildings could become Enablers of the New European Bauhaus.
NEB-LAB is considering schools as “learning organisations” and “core social centres” that can react more quickly to changing external environments, embrace innovations in internal organisation, and ultimately improve student outcomes. Such school environments promote Open Schooling: where schools, in cooperation with other stakeholders, become an agent of community well-being; the walls around schools come down but they remain strong, sharing responsibilities with other community bodies. Non-formal learning, collective tasks and intergenerational activities are strongly emphasised; school projects revitalised around a knowledge agenda in cultures of experimentation, diversity, and innovation.
It is an open system, welcoming approaches from potential external collaborators; The school scans its external environment to respond quickly to challenges and opportunities; families are encouraged to become real partners in school life and activities; professionals from enterprises and civil and wider society are actively be involved in bringing real-life projects to the classroom. Partnerships are based on equality of relationships and opportunities for mutual learning; Relevant policy makers encourage policy buy-in and the mainstreaming of good practices and insights into policies, and hence sustainability and impact. Such partnerships foster expertise, networking, sharing, and applying science and technology research findings across different enterprises (e.g., start-ups, SMEs, larger corporations).
Such environments hold a great potential to act as drivers in the Green Renovation Wave and to enhance the social acceptance of energy efficient solutions and to create sustained and meaningful engagement of local communities.
Considering the use of educational buildings as frontrunners to support the Renovation Wave and the New European Bauhaus, the NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Summer School aims to showcase an approach that highlights the significance of:
- any smart, green initiative of educational institutions should aim to actively contribute towards achieving interlinked strategic goals of the wider communities served, pertaining to economic growth, quality of life of citizens and sustainability
- planning and implementing initiatives across various domains and not only energy-specific in a narrow sense to achieve climate neutrality, but rather across other integrated domains such as, economy, mobility, education, etc.
This NEB-LAB Approach is considering the schools as open schooling environments, “learning organisations” and “core social centres” that can react more quickly to changing external environments, embrace innovations in internal organisation, and ultimately improve learners’ and visitors’ educational outcomes and attitudes.
During the NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Summer School, the 4 main steps of NEB-LAB Approach will be discussed:
- Demonstrate that educational buildings can become enablers of the New European Bauhaus
- Propose ways of learning or gaining knowledge and/or the education and pedagogical focus for effective integration of these topics into the curriculum
- Develop and deliver the pathway on how schools can become a physical place of education and knowledge
- Re-consider the relationship of the schools with the local communities as hubs of innovation towards the green transition and sustainable development (Co-design, LLs)
During the NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Summer School, participants will develop concrete climate action plans so that their schools can be transformed into innovation hubs in their communities, raising citizen awareness activities to facilitate social innovation, promote education and training for sustainability, conducive to competences and positive behaviour for a resource-efficient and environmentally respectful energy use.
Below, you can find material (videos, documents, and presentations) for your preparation.
The NEB-LAB Eco²Schools Roadmap. NEB-LAB as experiential introduction for change comprehensive to all, provide a Roadmap to net zero renovation and smart use of energy positive educational buildings, taking in account climate change resilient adaptation and restoration of the relation with nature.
NEB-LAB Green Action Plans. This document aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the methodology, development, and application of the pilot sites’ Action Plans.
- Roadmap for Living Labs in Education
- Schools as Living: A Roadmap for Schools
- Inspirational examples of Schools as Living Labs
- The Education for Climate Coalition, the European participatory community for students, teachers, and education stakeholders to act collectively on innovative education solutions for environmental sustainability.
Course fee
The course fee for all ESIA Summer Schools is 480€ (80€/per day) and fully within the funding opportunities of the Erasmus+ Programme.
The course fee covers:
- Expert lecturers for lectures, seminars and workshops
- All materials and equipment needed for the course
- Participation in the social programme & excursions (e.g. Sunset and dinner at Cape Sounio, excursion to the Acropolis and visit to the Acropolis Museum and dinner in downtown Athens, traditional night and farewell dinner, etc.)
Subsistence & accommodation
The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.
ESIA has made special arrangement with the hotel and are happy to offer to all participants a single or double room with all-inclusive services (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and free of charge services for outdoors sports and recreational activities).
The costs for subsistence are also within the ceilings of the Erasmus+ programme for KA1 mobility actions.
ACCOMMODATION AT GOLDEN COAST HOTEL 2025 (Indicative prices)
COST FOR THE PARTICIPANTS (All Inclusive)
- Per person in SINGLE: 140 €/per night
- Per person in DOUBLE: 98 €/per night
Extra persons (All Inclusive)
- TRIPLE room: 88 €/per person/per night
EXTRA SERVICES (the following refers to other project participants that don’t pay the course fee)
TOURS & EXCURSIONS
Cape Sounio Tour (Price: 100 €/per person)
Monday @ 18:00
Includes:
-
- Transport by bus (Golden Coast – Cape Sounio – Golden Coast)
- Guided tour of Poseidon temple with Professional and Lisensed guide
- Entrance fees of the Temple of Poseidon
- Lunch at local tavern
- All taxes
Athens tour & Acropolis Museum (Price: 120 €/per person)
Wednesday @ 16:00
Includes:
-
- Transport by bus (Golden Coast – Athens – Golden Coast)
- Short panoramic tour by bus of historic center of Athens
- Services of a Professional and licensed guide
- Entrance fees of Acropolis museum
- Lunch at local tavern
- All taxes
+ Entrance fees to the Acropolis Archaeological Site ticket cost of 30 €/per person.
+ Entrance fees to the Sounio Archaeological Site ticket cost of 20 €/per person.
*** The above prices are calculated based on current costs, tickets to museums / archeological sites, fuel cost, VAT
The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.
It is the area of Marathon, that has hosted since the times of myths when Theseus killed the terrible bull of Marathon, to the times of the Persian wars and the Battle of Marathon, further on to our days and the marathon race and Marathon Run, the emblematic symbol of man’s quest for freedom and the will to defend his most noble deeds which constitute the foundations of the Human civilization. The plethora of natural, historical sites and museums of the area reveal in all details this unique historical voyage.
Participants are expected to arrive through the Athens International Airport, approximately 25 km (15,53 miles) distance from the hotel.
School Heads and Teachers participation in the summer courses can be funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme.
In case your school or organization does not have the funds to cover the costs of your participation in the Summer School, there is another option: you can apply to be funded by by the ERASMUS+ Programme.
Please note that the Erasmus+ KA1 application can only be submitted by the school or the organization – no individual applications can be submitted.
The deadline for application is February 19, 2025.
What is ERASMUS+?
Erasmus+ is the European Commission’s Programme for education, training, youth, and sport for the period 2021-2027. As an integrated programme, Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for the mobility of learners and staff and cooperation across the education, training, and youth sectors and is easier to access than its predecessors, with simplified funding rules and a structure that aims to streamline the administration of the programme.
Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA1) provides a unique opportunity for teachers, headmasters, trainers, and other staff of educational institutions to participate in international training courses in different European countries. Schools, universities, vocational education and training, and adult education organizations are all eligible to receive full funding to attend courses under a KA1 mobility grant. The Erasmus+ KA1 grant covers all the costs to attend teacher training courses: including travel, subsistence, and course fee.
For up-to-date information about Erasmus+ please check the Programme’s website. Your school will need to apply to your country’s National Agency, who is also the one who will evaluate the proposal. Therefore, your National Agency is also a very good point to start for more information.
Don’t forget to go through the the New Programme Guide and you will have all you need to know.
The steps to apply for an Erasmus+ KA1 School Education Staff Mobility grant are:
- Fill in the registration form to our Summer School with your details. This is an individual registration form, so if there are more than one participant from the same school, each one will have to submit a separate registration form. This way you have reserved a slot in the course in case your application for Erasmus+ funding is successful!
- Register your school/organization here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-esc/index/ , if not already registered.
- Check the compliance with the programme criteria
- Check the financial conditions
- Fill in and submit the application form
- Respect the deadline
- Do not forget to inform us as soon as you get notified from your National Agency whether your grant application is accepted or rejected.
You can find all related information about submitting an Erasmus+ Application HERE.
We will be happy to guide you through the process.