  Sustainable development is a worldwide recognized social and political goal,
discussed in both academic and political discourse and with much research on
the topic related to sustainable development in higher education. Since mental
models are formed more effectively at school age, we propose a new way of
thinking that will help achieve this goal. This paper was written in the
context of Russia, where the topic of sustainable development in education is
poorly developed. The authors used the classical methodology of the case
analysis. The analysis and interpretation of the results were conducted in the
framework of the institutional theory. Presented is the case of Ural Federal
University, which has been working for several years on the creation of a
device for the purification of industrial sewer water in the framework of an
initiative student group. Schoolchildren recently joined the program, and such
projects have been called university-to-school projects. Successful solutions
of inventive tasks contribute to the formation of mental models. This case has
been analyzed in terms of institutionalism, and the authors argue for the
primacy of mental institutions over normative ones during sustainable society
construction. This case study is the first to analyze a partnership between a
Federal University and local schools regarding sustainable education and
proposes a new way of thinking.
