Sucessiful educational methods to foster sustainable education

Abstract

This study examines hackathons as effective educational formats for fostering sustainability competencies in the fashion and textile sector. Through an analysis of a three-day fashion hackathon in Athens, case studies based on the mentoring of two early-stage circular startups, the research shows how participants learn, collaborate and translate sustainability principles into concrete, actionable concepts. A qualitative and inductive methodology was applied, using structured observation, visual and process documentation, reflective mentor notes and two case studies. These findings show that hackathon-based education combined with structured mentoring can jointly improve the capacity to advance sustainable fashion practices.