ACADIMIA in Iceland: Empowering Teachers Through Creative and Inclusive Learning

ACADIMIA project partners with Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs & Vyte Ezerskiene, Project Officer from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, at University of Iceland, 5 November 2025

The 5th meeting and teacher training event of the European project ACADIMIA took place in Iceland 4 - 6 November 2025, jointly hosted by GeoCamp Iceland and the University of Iceland – School of Education.

The event brought together educators, researchers and project partners from across Europe to advance one of Erasmus+’s most ambitious initiatives in teacher education, creating a European Teacher Academy for Creative and Inclusive Learning.

A European Collaboration for Innovation in Education

ACADIMIA unites universities, training centres and schools from eight European countries. Its goal is to integrate creative and inclusive pedagogies into mainstream teacher education and professional development. The project builds on ten successful EU-funded initiatives and connects them through a shared curriculum and a networked Community of Practice for teachers.

At its core, ACADIMIA promotes ten creative teaching approaches — from digital storytelling, drama in education and gamification, to STEAM-based learning and strength-based inclusion — all designed to make learning more engaging, equitable and sustainable.

Iceland’s Role and Local Impact

For Iceland, hosting this fifth meeting is both a milestone and a reflection of growing momentum. Over fifity local teachers from the Reykjanes region have already taken part in ACADIMIA’s international training activities, applying new creative learning methods in their classrooms.

According to Sigrun Svafa Olafsdottir, Project Manager of Education at GeoCamp Iceland and Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, the project is gaining a real momentum in Reykjanes “Teachers are interested in using more inclusive, hands-on and creative approaches — whether through digital storytelling, creative STEAM projects or collaborative drama activities. It’s exciting to see how these European ideas take root locally.”

The collaboration between GeoCamp Iceland and the University of Iceland strengthens the country’s capacity for field-based, sustainability-focused teacher education — a natural fit for Iceland’s landscape and GeoCamp’s expertise in outdoor learning.

A Three-Day Programme of Ideas and Practice

The meeting opened on November 4th at the University of Iceland – School of Education. Partner sessions will focus on progress in teacher training, professional communities, evaluation and long-term sustainability. In the afternoons, Icelandic and international teachers participating in parallel training workshops on creative methodologies such as MONTECH, EAR, SEDIN, and Talentmaker.

On the final day, participants step outside the classroom for a field-based learning experience led by GeoCamp Iceland, exploring the Reykjanes Peninsula, visiting sites like the Bridge Between Continents, Gunnuhver hot springs and the new lava fields near Grindavík — powerful examples of how Iceland’s dynamic landscape can serve as a living classroom.

The training event concludes with sessions on Digital Storytelling and Drama in Education, linking creative expression with environmental and place-based education.

Building a Lasting Legacy

The Iceland meeting marks an important step toward ACADIMIA’s long-term vision, a self-sustaining European network of teacher training providers who champion inclusive, creative and cross-disciplinary education.

For GeoCamp Iceland and its regional partners, we look towards a lasting impact with better-trained teachers, stronger ties between schools and universities, and a richer integration of creative and inclusive learning, as well as outdoor andfield-based learning into mainstream education.

As Europe and the world face rapid social and environmental change, projects like ACADIMIA remind us that education can be both creative and grounded in reality — rooted in place, collaboration and shared learning.