The Real World Learning (RWL) Network will exchange, test out and share pedagogical approaches to real world learning across the EU. Through our network of partners we will explore what makes a quality learning experience effective, developing resources and ideas that can be adapted by educators across Europe. The result will be education about the natural world that links to sustainability through empowering learning for change.Current trends in sustainable development such as climate change, biodiversity loss, renewable energy and green jobs whilst improving are not changing fast enough to prevent huge environmental problems affecting lives across the EU. RWL addresses the twin needs of making education more attraction to all learners and ensuring it builds the skills for young people to play an active role in building a sustainable Europe. It starts from the premise that to effectively tackle global issues of sustainability learners first need to understand how the natural world works through first-hand experience, then link that learning to man’s influences and how they can make a real difference through their actions now and career choices in the future. Whilst we do not discount other ‘ways in’ to learning for sustainability, real world learning in the natural environment has significant advantages.The partners individual experience shows that an approach based on RWL in the natural environment provides the base for scientific learning. Through RWL not only does science come alive, there is also a direct connection with the issue being studied. For example, by monitoring the phenological changes in trees students see the direct impact of climate change in a local and meaningful way, thus reducing a global issue to something understandable by a young person. There is a huge challenge to turn engaging experience in the natural world into meaningful action. The RWL Network will address and meet this challenge.