From Wool to Colour - A Handbook of Educational Activities / Learning Through Community Practice
The CommunityCloth Handbook of Educational Activities - from Wool to Colour, offers a comprehensive framework for educators and community leaders to implement sustainable community programs. The guide focuses on empowering communities through participatory methodologies and innovative educational techniques that address sustainability and social inclusion.
This handbook was designed for teachers, community leaders, and anyone curious and interested in implementing learning activities in their communities. It brings together simple, adaptable workshops that introduce participants of all ages to wool processing and natural dyeing.
Some activities are short and playful; others unfold over a season or even a year. All of them share one aim: to connect people with natural resources through hands-on education.
Why a handbook?
Because educators often need practical, ready-to-use ideas that fit different contexts. This guide responds to that need by offering clear, replicable methodologies that balance structure with flexibility. Each activity includes guidance on materials, timing, facilitation methods, and learning objectives, while leaving space for adaptation to local realities, seasonal cycles, and community needs.
Train the Trainer: A Core Methodology
At the heart of the Handbook lies the Train the Trainer methodology, based on the principle that learning is an ongoing process. As famously stated, “In a constantly changing world, the only educated person is the one who has learned how to learn.”
This approach recognises that anyone can become a trainer, not only professional educators, but also parents, mentors, colleagues, and community members. By equipping individuals with the skills to teach and inspire others, the methodology creates a multiplier effect, allowing knowledge to circulate widely and sustainably within communities.
The CommunityCloth Approach
CommunityCloth is rooted in wool and natural dyeing, as entry points to a farm-to-cloth approach. Wool is a renewable, biodegradable, and versatile material, while plant-based dyes connect learning to biodiversity, ecological cycles, and local knowledge. Together, they highlight farm-to-cloth practices that respect both the environment and cultural heritage.
The handbook builds on this approach, turning wool and natural dyeing into educational pathways.
The activities are not just about craft, they are about understanding where materials come from, how they are processed, and what they mean in cultural and ecological terms. In this way, learning moves beyond the classroom and into a wider conversation about sustainability and community.
CommunityCloth is an Erasmus+ funded initiative designed to support urban communities in adopting more sustainable textile value chains through agricultural and community-based practices. Its core objective is to train and empower community leaders, educators, and facilitators who can then transfer knowledge, skills, and methodologies to others, fostering a bottom-up, community-driven approach to sustainable urban development.
The Handbook offers a comprehensive framework for implementing educational programmes that combine sustainability, social inclusion, and participatory learning. It is designed for teachers, trainers, youth workers, and community leaders who wish to introduce hands-on, adaptable learning activities in diverse contexts, from schools and community gardens to cultural centres and informal learning environments.