Subliminal Curriculum - Words of Wisdom

About

The subliminal curriculum refers to the underlying culture and environment that promotes sustainability—not through formal teaching or extracurricular activities, but through the everyday experiences, systems, and messages students encounter. It’s about making sustainability a natural part of the learning atmosphere, even when students aren’t actively looking for it.

Subliminal learning should focus on institution-wide practices and policies that subtly shape a sustainability-focused culture. It can be most effective if sustainability content were placed in student-facing areas like 'study homepages'—places students visit regularly—so it becomes part of their everyday experience without needing to search for it.

The subliminal curriculum is an area of interest within the Responsible Futures accreditation. For more information about Responsible Futures visit their website.