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Launched in 2015 with a bold agenda in tackling extremely pressing global questions, such as poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. These 17 interconnected goals have been designed such that they bring the catchphrase "leave no one behind" to the global stage with a common set of framework for progress applying in all countries and all mankind.
As parents, understanding what the SDGs are briefly mentioned in passing would have left you with questions regarding your child's education. How do schools put these goals forward in the curriculum, activities, and functioning of day-to-day school life? In this blog, we will explore how schools promote UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), why these goals matter for our children's future, and how they can be mainstreamed into everyday learning. The idea is to educate students to inspire the next generation to become active stakeholders in the rebuilding of a better and sustainable world.
Schools play an important role in developing the future of the world.
"Teaching about the SDGs in schools is a way to empower kids to think about the entire planet while acting in their local neighborhoods."
In this way, schools teach children an early concept of shared responsibility, global challenges, and the need to create a more sustainable world.
By regarding the SDGs as part of their curriculum, schools encourage children to relate real-world problems to their thinking and critique their own role in addressing them. The SDGs are not just a set of goals outlined in a global policy document but are increasingly embedded in contemporary education. Schools seek to educate students who make a positive impact on the world, balancing academic learning with social responsibility and environmental awareness.
Most schools integrate the SDGs into various curricular subjects, including geography, science, social studies, and even mathematics. Here are some ways schools promote the SDGs concretely in classrooms:
SDG 13 "Climate Action" is one of the great subjects, and schools are making more use of environmental education to improve better the climate-change awareness, sustainability, and conservation initiatives. It tells the students about the effects that human activities have on the planet, thus raising the consciousness of responsibility they have toward their surroundings. An increasing number of schools are now organizing dedicated "environmental days" during which the students actively participate in tree planting, waste reduction, and cleaning up local parks. What manifests is that these activities give the students hands-on experiences while creating a sense of pride among them for the contribution they have made toward the environment.
SDG 5, "Gender Equality," aims at the eradication of discrimination and violence against women and girls in all forms. Schools have slowly begun to adhere to gender-neutrality and ensure equal opportunities for girls and boys to engage in every possible activity. Some teachers are trained in sensitively handling gender-related matters, while the schools have inclusive aspects in the entire education process. This example may include the promotion of female participation in STEM subjects, the dismantling of stereotypes to lead girls in student organisations.
Sustainable Development Goal 3 is "Good Health and Well-Being", which is the two aims that state the guarantee of healthy lives for all people at all ages. Schools stage a promotion under this SDG through various activities like mental health awareness, education on nutrition, and, most of all, promoting and encouraging physical activity. Most schools have programmes that look at the positive effects physical and mental health provide for student performance in mindfulness exercises, yoga, and counselling. Teaching young people to take care of their health proves beneficial in the short run but eventually sets them up for a healthy and happy adult life.
All-inclusiveness, fairness, and equitable quality education, along with lifelong learning opportunities, are provided for everybody by SDG 4, "Quality Education." For this, schools have achieved the SDG by making sure that a quality education can be provided to any child, irrespective of his or her background. It includes support for special educational needs, their inclusion in classrooms, and the introduction of digital learning aid tools, which promote self-paced learning. There is also quite some focus on critical reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity. All of these matters are crucial for students in addressing global challenges.
SDG 16, "Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions," explains the relevance of strong, transparent, and accountable institutions. Several schools are promoting this SDG through a range of activities that teach students about human rights, social justice, and the rule of law. These activities include classroom discussions and debates, as well as model United Nations simulations where students learn and practice how to contribute to peacebuilding.
Apart from including the SDGs in the curriculum, the schools also have extracurricular activities and initiatives that embrace the goals in a hands-on, real-world context.
Most schools encourage students to come up with their SDG-based projects: an initiative that allows them to learn about the goals while making contributions directly toward them. From coordinating a recycling drive, advocating for sustainable local community projects, or even a charity focusing on poverty alleviation, students are offered opportunities to implement what they have learned in scenes of real-life projects. Concepts learned here teach invaluable leadership and organizational skills while making a lasting difference in the school and the surrounding community.
Schools are engaging in partnerships with local organizations and initiatives from around the world that work towards achieving SDGs. Some of these schools involve NGOs, government agencies, and community groups in collaborative projects that benefit the local community and the global community. For instance, some schools partner with charity organizations to build schools in underdeveloped countries or work with local environmental organizations to create green spaces in cities.
To further support SDGs, schools often hold such activities as awareness campaigns, fundraising events, and global days like Earth Day or International Women's Day. Such events educate students concerning the goals and provide opportunities for them to express their dedication towards achieving those goals. Such initiatives urge students to actively participate in society while providing a podium for open discussion on global issues and their solutions.
Many schools are also working towards embedding sustainability practices into their operations, thus creating an example for the students. From energy and water consumption reduction to using green building materials in the school buildings, all of them are working to create a sustainable environment. Such activities will be beneficial for the earth as well as give the students an example of real life on how to bring sustainable practices into their own lives.
SDGs become important in a minimally indirect way that parents can also impact on them within points of formal education. For instance, schools can teach children to recycle, convert wastewater, and think about their carbon footprint. They can discuss with them about the need for human rights, peace, and justice, and how the problem of poverty and inequality cannot be solved without international cooperation.
Parents can further combine efforts with their child to support his or her school endeavours while encouraging his or her participation in service learning activities and extracurricular activities that anchor on the SDGs. It is recreating a home environment that reinforces values with interest and support for such efforts.
This is where the UN Sustainable Development Goals forge their relevance within a global context—to build future leaders and activists, also responsible citizens. By signing up for these goals into the school curricula, extra-curricular programmes and daily routines, schools now set students up with the right knowledge and skills so they will be able to deal with the problems facing our world. This education gives huge empowerment to young people in making informed decisions and acting towards a sustainable, equitable and peaceful world.
As parents, it is also essential to learn about how schools engage with the SDGs and encourage children to participate in these efforts at home and in their learning environment. Everyone plays an important role in creating a better future for everyone: schools, parents, and communities alike.
Personal visit to: the Skoodos website on a more comprehensive enlightening page on how schools promote sustainability and the SDGs!
1. How do schools teach students about SDGs?
Schools teach students about SDGs inside a subject and run co-curricular activities reflecting about sustainability and participating in projects about global challenges.
2. Why is it important for students to learn about SDGs?
Realising the need for SDGs within students makes them aware of the global issues and motivates them to take actions to bring about positive changes in the community and world.
3. How can parents help their children learn about SDGs?
Parents should help their children by reinforcing the practices of sustainability at home and discussing the necessity of the SDGs with them. They should also encourage their children to participate in the school initiatives regarding the goals.
4. Give examples of school projects related to the SDGs.
Talk includes recycling drive, tree planting event, fundraising for charity, and student-led advocacy campaigns about gender equality or climate change.
5. Give examples of school activities related to SDGs outside the classroom.
SDGs can be integrated not only into classroom teaching but also in extracurricular activities such as sustainability clubs, volunteer projects, awareness campaigns, and building partnerships with local and global organizations that focus on achieving the SDGs.
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