„Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Umweltmobile“ (AGUM)
– what is that?
The “Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Umweltmobile” (AGUM) is an independent, (inter)nationally active network of actors who use specialized vehicles to conduct educational work in the context of education for sustainable development (ESD).
The mobile units are primarily run by associations, organizations, or state-run institutions of municipalities and federal states. Their work usually focuses on schools and/or daycare centers. However, they also offer support to other civil society groups for projects or action days related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
Latest posts
- AGUM meeting in Münster – it was great!
How can we address the challenges of climate change? […] - The OMBOMBO environmental mobile wins the Okayama Award 2025
The OMBOMBO mobile environmental education unit has been awarded the international Okayama Award for its outstanding mobile educational work. […] - Save the date – AGUM Conference 2026
The next AGUM meeting will take place in person from 3 to 6 February 2026 at the Forum Grillensee in Naunhof near Leipzig. […]
Origin and working method
The network initially originated solely from a shared interest in professional exchange on content-related, environmental education, technical and organizational issues concerning existing mobile services.
To meet the increased demand from environmental vehicle developers from Germany and abroad, and the desire for continuous exchange and knowledge transfer, the „Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Umweltmobile“ (AGUM) was founded in 1997 from this open circle of experts.
Annual analog and digital meetings have since served as a platform for content-related and organizational exchange.
In addition to the meetings, the AGUM network also focuses on providing information and observation opportunities for project developers at existing environmental mobile projects.
Thus, AGUM can now describe itself as the “midwife” of various national and international (Poland, Tunisia, Estonia, South Korea, Namibia, Hungary, Albania, …) mobile projects in the sense of ESD.
The LUMBRICUS team at the North Rhine-Westphalia Academy for Nature and Environmental Protection (NUA) serves as the contact point and for coordinating AGUM activities, acting as the “secretariat”. From there, together with the support of affiliated organizations, contact is maintained and expanded worldwide with the approximately 45 participating mobile units.
AGUM represents a “mobile” forum for ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) stakeholders, as they reach their target groups using specially equipped vehicles. It acts as a promoter, contact point, and multiplier of experience for this form of decentralized educational work in line with ESD principles.