by On November 16th and 17th, 2024, the International Summit of ELNN (European Lead by Nature Network) took place in Brașov, Romania, with Framework participating as an active member.
The event was organized by Innovation Education Lab of Brașov, and partners from across Europe attended with their delegations.
It was an intense two-day event with a packed agenda of activities and workshops.
Networking activities took place simultaneously among all partners: working groups engaged in discussions on various themes aimed at identifying the challenges of tomorrow. Discussions included topics such as essential and future-proof skills, how to balance progress with sustainability, aspects of networking and partnership, the ability to negotiate fair compensation and professional roles—and what that actually means—as well as how to support future systems, the meaning of well-being, and the importance of self-care. These were just a few of the elements explored across different tables and later discussed in plenary sessions.
Following these collective working moments, several workshops were held, which participants could choose based on their interests and inclinations. Speakers, also from across Europe, offered thought-provoking insights, shared good practices, presented results of local projects, and delivered theoretical lessons with group work sessions.
Topics were diverse and touched on many important aspects: for example, policy-making for education and youth, the future of education through non-formal approaches, technology applied to the future of learning, sustainability through the circular economy, as well as AI and Blockchain.
Yet, while looking toward the future through technology, it was also emphasized that to build a better future, we must not forget the past—our roots, our accumulated experience, knowledge, and humanity that define us.
This led to discussions about craftsmanship, intangible cultural heritage, and how this heritage should be recovered, preserved, and safeguarded for future generations. It was also underlined how this heritage can offer professional opportunities—today more than ever undervalued. Passing this knowledge on to young people can provide them with alternative career paths and the ability to keep creativity alive, along with human skills and sustainable methods of production.
The creative aspect was also emphasized in the workshop on non-formal education, where cinema combined with philosophy brought high-impact educational elements into schools—helping students reflect and adopt a different perspective on the future, something especially important for young people. It was a moment of deep reflection and impact, producing in us adults that same “wow” heard in the videos, as a spontaneous reaction from the children.
The overall outcome of the event was certainly positive: a multitude of impactful and enriching experiences for all of us.
ELNN still has much to offer and will surely continue to be a source of inspiration and partnerships in the future.
