Fostering Eco-Citizenship through Nature Immersion in Higher Education: A Case Study of the Transdisc Project

The mission of environmental education includes developing a critical, competent, and committed eco-citizenship that recognizes the interdependence between society and nature. Experience in nature is crucial to this approach. While ‘nature-based’ education is popular in basic education, higher education courses and training often emphasize a managerial or expert perspective on sustainability, focusing on cognitive skills.

The TransDisc research project (2021-2023) designed an experimental nature immersion program for higher education students to address this gap. The project aimed to test the value of an ex-situ activity prototype inspired by ecoformation practices (Nicolas, 2023) developed within civil society networks, particularly the Work-That-Reconnects (WTR) and Psychosocial Intervention through Nature and Adventure (IPNA). The WTR approach, rooted in environmental activism, seeks to use nature connection as a catalyst for social transformation (Macy & Johnson, 2018). IPNA, a social innovation process, aims to provide sustainable responses to social needs. Group adventures in nature can raise awareness and foster individual change. Interventions are aimed at the overall development of the individual and the transformation of society by focusing on values linked to solidarity rather than profitability. (Rojo & Bergeron, 2017).

These approaches emphasize the bond of interdependence with living beings, emotions, imagination, and the body. The team of “professors-researchers” collaborated closely with societal actors throughout the process, from observing their work to co-designing a pedagogic prototype tailored to higher education, and finally, facilitating the program with a group of volunteers. This paper focuses on a case study of this social innovation.