​ACADIMIA at Reykjanes EDU Camps: Strengthening Teacher Development

The UNESCO Schools Education Camp (Menntabúðir), held on 2 February at Gerðaskóli in Garður, provided an important platform to highlight ACADIMIA – the European Teacher Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learning and its growing role in teacher development in the Reykjanes region.

Menntabúðir brought together over 100 educators from preschools, primary schools, and upper secondary schools across the region. Designed as an open and collaborative learning space, the event focused on sharing practice, building professional connections, and strengthening education linked to sustainability, global citizenship, and place-based learning within Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark.

As part of the main programme, Sigrún Svafa Ólafsdóttir presented ACADIMIA to all participants, outlining the project’s vision, pedagogical approach, and concrete outcomes in Reykjanes. The presentation generated strong interest among educators and sparked discussion around the need for professional development that is practical, inspiring, and closely connected to everyday teaching realities.

ACADIMIA is a European teacher training initiative that focuses on creative learning, inclusion, and active teaching methodologies, supporting educators in developing new approaches that can be applied across subjects and learning environments. In Reykjanes, the project has gained exceptional momentum. To date, close to 100 teachers from the region have participated in ACADIMIA training activities, representing approximately 20% of all teachers in Reykjanes. This level of engagement makes Reykjanes one of the strongest regional examples of ACADIMIA outreach and impact.

The presentation at Menntabúðir also highlighted how ACADIMIA complements and strengthens ongoing work within the UNESCO Schools network and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark. The event was held in close collaboration with the United Nations Association of Iceland, which coordinates UNESCO school activities at the national level, reinforcing the connection between local educational development and the wider UNESCO framework.

Through ACADIMIA, teachers in Reykjanes have engaged in hands-on workshops, creative learning processes, and peer-based reflection, often linked to outdoor learning, sustainability education, and cross-curricular teaching. The project aligns closely with GeoCamp Iceland’s approach to education: learning that is active, relevant, and rooted in local context, while connected to international perspectives and collaboration.

Highlighting ACADIMIA at Menntabúðir positioned the project firmly within the broader educational ecosystem of Reykjanes. Alongside UNESCO Schools initiatives, Geopark-based learning, and sustainability-focused education, ACADIMIA contributes to building a strong professional learning community that spans school levels, disciplines, and municipalities.

For GeoCamp Iceland, the Menntabúðir presentation marked another important milestone in translating European education projects into meaningful local impact. ACADIMIA is no longer simply an international training programme hosted in Reykjanes; it has become an integral part of ongoing teacher development in the region.

As interest and participation continue to grow, ACADIMIA will remain a key tool for supporting educators in Reykjanes, strengthening collaboration across schools, and ensuring that innovative, inclusive teaching practices are embedded in everyday learning. Menntabúðir clearly demonstrated both the scale of this work and the strong commitment among teachers to shaping the future of education together.