OBJECTIVE
In order to transform the textile and fashion sector into a sustainable system, all stakeholders are required to fulfil the EU sustainability strategies and engage at local and global levels. The TexUnite project promotes the key competences required to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by introducing service learning into study programmes on textiles, clothing and fashion through project-based seminars. Lecturers are empowered to undertake service-learning projects through active participation in the Sustainable Textile Lab (SusTexLab) training module.
AIM
The aim is to carry out sustainability oriented service-learning projects with students and external partners. The Virtual Exchange method will be used to establish an intercultural exchange between the six European partner universities. In this way, the project combines digitalisation and sustainability. The results of the project will be published as Open Educational Resources (OER).
Integrating service learning into a university curriculum fosters democratic values and awareness, critical thinking, reflection on textile production and fashion consumption, cooperation and social skills, and international exchange between university teachers, students and external partners.
WORK PACKAGES
1 – Sustainable Textile Lab (SusTexLab)
Development and implementation of an online training seminar with teaching and learning arrangements for the implementation of sustainable service-learning projects with students and for intercultural exchange using the Virtual Exchange method.
2 – Service-Learning Projects
Development, implementation and evaluation of service-learning projects at the partner universities. Based on the SusTexLab, partners for service-learning projects, e.g. NGOs, municipalities or sustainability-oriented companies, are approached and integrated into international tandems via the Virtual Exchange.
3 – Open Educational Resources (OER)
Development of open educational resources (OER), based on the teaching and learning materials of the SusTexLab and the SL projects, for the open access repository ZOERR and project presentation on the European platform EPALE.
PARTNERS
University of Education Freiburg, Germany (Coordinator)
Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Germany
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University Iaşi, Romania
Trakia University Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ege University Izmir, Turkey
CO-FUNDING
TexUnite is co-funded by the ERASMUS+ programme of the European Commission (project number 2024-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000253935).
Duration of the project: from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2027.
The official website of the TexUnite project: https://texunite.eu/