MAD for Europe

ICCEE 2026 – International Conference on Circular Economy in Education

MAD for Europe is proud to announce the final international conference of the Erasmus+ project EDU.CIRCULAR, a European initiative promoting Circular Economy in secondary education through co-creation, innovative learning methodologies and the Whole School Approach.
📅 30 September 2026
🕘 09:00 – 17:00
📍 European Parliament Office in Spain – Calle Castellana, 46 Madrid

The conference will bring together educators, policymakers, European institutions, sustainability experts, researchers, enterprises, students and families to explore how education can become a powerful driver of the green transition.
Throughout the day, participants will discover the results of EDU.CIRCULAR, including:
• Innovative lesson plans and educational resources on Circular Economy
• The Circular School Guide
• The Circular Thinking Repository
• XR learning experiences for schools
• Results and impact from the large scale implementation carried out across Europe
• The Whole School Approach as a framework for sustainable school transformation

The programme will also feature high level discussions on the future of sustainability in education, contributions from European experts, institutional representatives and Climate-KIC, as well as opportunities for networking and exchange of good practices.
Hosting the ICCEE at the European Parliament Office in Madrid represents a unique opportunity to connect educational innovation, sustainability and European cooperation, while reflecting on how successful Erasmus+ projects can contribute to shaping future educational policies.
More information and registration details will be announced very soon.
SAVE THE DATE and join us in Madrid for a European conversation on the future of Education and Circular Economy.

Welcome to Madrid!

Straight from Rome and Turin, a new group of young and motivated students have just arrived for a month of Erasmus+ internships in Madrid, and today we finally got to welcome them!🇮🇹✈️

They are ready to dive into some amazing professional fields:
🔧Mechanical Engineering: ready to get their hands dirty and learn from the best!
💇‍♀️ Beauty & Personal Care: bringing Italian style and creativity to the industry!
🍳 Culinary Arts: set to turn up the heat in the kitchen and master new flavors!

¡Bienvenidos a Madrid! We wish you the absolute best of luck for this journey. Work hard, absorb every single bit of knowledge, but most importantly... enjoy this beautiful city!

Today at MAD for Europe we had the pleasure of meeting five students from Nuestra Señora de las Victorias school.🇪🇺

They are just 14 years old, but already came to us with a youth project they’ve been working on and the desire to make it real. Honestly, it was really impressive to see how much energy, curiosity, and motivation they have at such a young age.
They shared with us an idea for an exchange project focused on social diversity, and we are very happy to support them and walk alongside them as they develop it.
Moments like this are a great reminder of how powerful young voices can be when they are given space and trust.

We look forward to working together!🤝

Spent the morning brainstorming with an amazing stakeholder working at the intersection of social inclusion, disability, and sport. 🙌

As part of the Urban Youth Moves (UYM-CITY) project, we shared ideas, challenged each other’s thinking, and refined some of the Urban Trails we’re planning to launch in Madrid after the summer.
One thing I’m constantly reminded of: the best ideas come from collaboration. Working alongside people with hands-on experience helps us create activities that are not only fun and engaging, but also truly inclusive and accessible.

Super inspired by where this is going, and looking forward to turning these ideas into reality!🚶‍♀🌍

Last week, MAD for Europe participated in the Erasmus+ KA220 Cooperation Partnerships Follow-up Sessions organised by the Spanish National Agency ( ) at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities in Madrid.
Over two intensive and highly valuable days, project coordinators and experts from across Spain came together to exchange experiences, discuss challenges, share good practices and explore strategies to maximise the impact of Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships.

These events provide a unique space for reflection, peer learning and capacity building, helping organisations transform good projects into excellent ones. Through the exchange of methodologies, innovative approaches and lessons learned, beneficiaries can strengthen project implementation, improve sustainability and ensure that results generate meaningful long term impact.

A sincere thank you to SEPIE for organising such a valuable event and for fostering a strong community of Erasmus+ organisations committed to innovation, cooperation and European values.

After weeks of internships across hospitals, veterinary clinics, kindergartens, and creative spaces, other students are heading home with way more than experience on paper.

They arrived curious, and ready to learn. They leave proud of what they’ve lived, and of how much they’ve grown along the way. Every place added something different to their journey: skills, yes, but also confidence, perspective, and so many incredible moments.

A huge thank you to all the professionals who welcomed them, guided them, trusted them, and shared their everyday work with patience and generosity. They truly made this experience unforgettable!

Madrid will be waiting for you again, chicos!

Last week, MAD for Europe had the privilege of participating in the first BESIS Forum in Zaragoza, an intersting initiative bringing together organisations, experts and changemakers committed to innovation, sustainability and social impact.

The event provided a great opportunity to strengthen our European and international network, exchange best practices, and explore innovative ideas capable of generating meaningful and lasting impact across communities.
Engaging discussions with representatives from European institutions, funding bodies and international organisations reinforced the importance of collaboration, scalability and long term vision in building successful initiatives that go beyond project lifecycles.
We return inspired, with new friends and partnerships, fresh perspectives and exciting opportunities for future cooperation. Together, we can transform great ideas into sustainable actions with real impact across Europe and beyond.

Remember the Italian teachers who came to Madrid for the Job Shadowing experience within the Erasmus+ programme? 🇪🇺

We could not miss mentioning one of the most interesting and unique visits, which allowed them not only to discover new perspectives, but also to bring new ideas and inspiration back to their school in Italy.
We are talking about Punto Centro Cultural del Gusto, a cultural center dedicated to gastronomy and food culture. It combines a specialized culinary bookstore with a space for workshops, tastings, courses, and events focused on cooking and food education. The center promotes food knowledge and creativity through professional and educational activities, often hosting chefs, authors, and industry experts. It is a reference point in Madrid for anyone interested in discovering different types of cuisine, where creativity and gastronomy meet.

Thank you so much for this beautiful morning together!🍴

New city, new people, new beginnings. 🇩🇪✈️🇪🇸

We are happy to welcome a new group of German trainees who have just arrived to begin their journey in the hospitality industry. For many of them, this is their first work experience, making this opportunity even more exciting and meaningful.
From the very beginning, they arrived motivated, curious and with a great attitude to learn and grow. During the next months, they will gain experience in different areas such as reception, bar and restaurant service, housekeeping and terrace service.
We hope this experience helps them learn as much as possible, discover new passions, build confidence and create memories that will stay with them for a long time.

Welcome to Madrid and enjoy every moment of this journey!

Today is goodbye day for 3 amazing groups🌍

Two groups from Germany and one from Portugal have just completed their internship experience in Madrid, after spending time working and learning in different sectors such as education, kindergarten, tech, social media, dental, events and more.
Time always goes so fast and it’s nice to look back and see how much can happen in just a short period. New experiences, new skills, new students and new challenges!

At MAD for Europe we’re really happy to have received such positive feedback and even happier to see these young people leave with more confidence, knowledge and good memories from their experience.
It was a pleasure having you here and we wish you all the best for everything that comes next 🍀

And now… we’re already ready for the next adventure because in June we’ll be welcoming new students from Italy and Portugal ✈️