CenSE-researcher: Karen Brabant, Thomas Hendrikx
Duration: January 2023 - December 2024
Funding: Flemish Department of Education & Training
Partner: Veerle De Smedt (Facility Management, Odisee)
Challenge
Schools face various challenges in the sustainable and efficient management of energy, ventilation, maintenance of installations or buildings, safety, green maintenance, furniture purchase, cleaning, catering, waste management, and so on. While time and resources are limited, these topics evolve rapidly and expectations are high.
To support Flemish schools in addressing these challenges, the Flemish Department of Education & Training decided to establish a learning network in line with the Masterplan Scholenbouw 2.0. This resulted in the learning network "Sustainable and Professional Facility Management in Schools". Its objective is to support schools in developing more sustainable and efficient facility management.
Concept of the network
We offer a learning network in which educational institutions are introduced to sustainable facility management through inspiring and realistic examples, where participants learn from each other and from experts in sustainable facility management in educational institutions, and that offers support to actively apply sustainable facility management in their own schools. Furthermore, the network provides the opportunity to interact with educational institutions facing similar challenges.
Key in all of this is knowledge sharing, networking, inspiring, and activating by offering hands-on tools. A combination of thematic days, seminars, school visits, and workshops results in a variated program. Each activity focuses on one or more aspects of sustainable and professional facility management. The learning network is free and open to all educational institutions in Flanders.
Sustainable FM-scan
The sustainable FM scan allows educational institutions to perform a quick check on how they apply sustainable facility management so far. The scan focuses on the main aspects of sustainable FM in a school environment and uses simple questions and self-analysis to reflect on the current situation. In this way, educational institutions can see where the strengths and weaknesses are in their own school. This insight can help them make choices between the wide range of activities and themes offered within the learning network.
Interested?
An overview of our activities:
- September 14, 2023: Theme Day 1: energy, cleaning and FM management (Odisee campus Brussels)
- October 26, 2023: School visit 1: VTI Bruges
- December 5, 2023: School visit 2: Sint-Pietersinstituut Turnhout
- January 9, 2024: Theme Day 2: Sustainability, cleaning and FM management (Hendrik Conscience building, Brussels)
- March 25, 2024: Workshop on sustainable construction (Odisee campus Brussels)
- April 23, 2024: Theme Day 3: Sustainable procurement and waste policy (Odisee Technology Campus Ghent)
This list will be completed throughout the project. Do you have any pressing questions in the meantime? Our colleague Thomas Hendrikx will be happy to help you via thomas.hendrikx@odisee.be.
Our partner
With financial support from the Flemish Department of Education & Training.