The recording of the fifth international webinar of the STITCH – Sustainability Through Innovation, Training, Creativity & STEAM Horizons project is now available on YouTube.
Held on 23 June 2026, the webinar “Turning Waste into Fashion: Upcycling Textiles for Sustainability and Inclusion” brought together educators, teachers, sustainability professionals, researchers, and stakeholders from across Europe to explore innovative approaches to sustainable fashion, textile waste reduction, and social inclusion.
The webinar highlighted how textile upcycling can become a powerful educational tool for promoting environmental awareness, responsible consumption, creativity, and active citizenship. Through inspiring examples and practical educational approaches, participants discovered how textile waste can be transformed into meaningful learning opportunities that connect sustainability, science, design, and social impact.
One of the key highlights of the event was the presentation of the NAOMI Ecumenical Workshop for Refugees in Thessaloniki. The initiative demonstrated how textile upcycling can support social inclusion, skills development, ethical production, and community empowerment while contributing to more sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Participants also had the opportunity to explore the educational lesson plan “Old Clothes, New Chemistry”, which introduces students to textile materials, natural and synthetic fibres, and the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Through hands-on activities and guided decision-making processes, students are encouraged to repair, reuse, redesign, or recycle old garments while developing STEAM competences, critical thinking skills, and environmental awareness.
Making these resources available online allows the STITCH partnership to extend the impact of the webinar beyond the live event, ensuring that educators, youth workers, students, and sustainability advocates can continue to benefit from the knowledge, methodologies, and good practices presented during the session.
At FICUS ETS, we believe that sharing innovative educational resources is essential to empowering young people and educational communities to address environmental challenges through creativity, collaboration, and responsible action.
We invite everyone interested in sustainable fashion, circular economy, STEAM education, and social inclusion to watch the recording and discover practical ideas that can be adapted to different educational and community contexts.
🎥 Watch the webinar recording on YouTube:
The STITCH – Sustainability Through Innovation, Training, Creativity & STEAM Horizons project (Project No. 2025-1-IT02-KA220-SCH-000353351) is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ KA220-SCH Cooperation Partnerships programme and aims to raise awareness among young people about the environmental impact of the fashion industry while promoting sustainability, creativity, innovation, and STEAM education through collaborative and innovative learning approaches.
