Practicing Social Learning in Preparing for ESD – a Case Study of the Hamburg Learns Sustainability Initiative

The process of getting to ESD is as important as the implementation of ESD itself. The study argues that the extent to which essential ESD characteristics are indeed present in the process of establishing an ESD program yields implications to the chances of a program becoming successful. To illustrate this argument, the present case study examines the ESD masterplan drafting process by the Hamburg Learns Sustainability (HLN) initiative in Germany. It aims to gain insights into the essential elements that determine the success or failure of a city-wide ESD initiative. To find out these essential elements, the present study, through literature review on social learning theory, developed the CSR-I conceptual framework: Community Belonging, System Integration, Reflection and Infrastructure to assess the HLN case. Data were gathered through interviews with key informants and review of documentation. The results show that the social learning dimensions of participation, integration, diversity and facilitation have the strongest presence. These essential elements make a city-wide ESD initiative a success