Sustainable Development Goals – Challenge for Change
https://www.canva.com/education/challenge-sdg/
An interactive way to tackle global issues, learn about Sustainable Development Goals, and change the world for the better. Take part in Canva’s fun and interactive daily challenges to make a real difference and win prizes! http://www.canva.com
Tackle global issues and change the world for the better! Developed by the Smithsonian, here is a way to directly bring the SDGs into teaching – particularly at secondary and tertiary level. Very cool.
Background to SDGs
https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/rce-vision-and-mission
In 2003, in response to the UN resolution on the UNDESD, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) launched the Education for Sustainable Development project, with funding support from the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. The ESD project designs and implements research and development activities through two flagship initiatives: a global multi-stakeholder global network of Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD (RCEs) and a network of higher education institutions called the Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network.
Moving forward, UNESCO has now presented the Roadmap for Implementing the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD with its five priority areas of action: advancing policy by mainstreaming ESD, transforming learning and training environments using the whole-institution approach, building capacities of educators and trainers, empowering and mobilizing youth, and finally accelerating sustainable solutions at the local level. At all levels of society, RCEs play a crucial role in implementing these goals using their local knowledge and global network.
Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Goal 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*
Goal 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Goal 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
* Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
We Need To Make Climate Change Part Of The Curriculum If We Are To Prevent The ‘Collapse Of Civilisation’ Huffington Post Blog
12/12/2018
Many believe that civilisation as we know it and the natural world are in crisis. This is what Sir David Attenborough told world leaders at the recent UN Climate Change Summit.
The naturalist is concerned by greenhouse emissions and is calling for urgent action to address climate change. Without this, more species are close to extinction and for many people, regions and countries, it is increasingly critical urgent action is taken.
While these stark warnings are terrifying, they are well informed and reiterate the need for a concerted, global effort to establish more sustainable ways of living. This needs to start at a grassroots level and education can play a key role.
First, however, educators need to better embrace global sustainability initiatives to help influence the choices future generations make. This will not only help address current climate change issues, it will help future generations avoid further contributing to themThere are many positive actions taking place within society to reduce pollution. Governments and many other organisations are tackling waste and increasing recycling. New innovations are helping clean-up the oceans. All of these efforts are highly commendable and much needed, but they are very focused on the here and now. More emphasis needs to shift to the longer term so that society as a whole is more proactive in its approach to environmental preservation.
There is already a blueprint for a brighter, more resourceful and environmentally considerate future in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 goals. Although, when we look across various governments’ policies for achieving these goals, there’s no clear focus on how they should be taught to students. This needs to change.
Making sustainable development goals part of the curriculum is something all schools should do. It will create a deeper knowledge and understanding of the challenges of sustainability and connect children with real world issues.
Too much teaching around sustainability and climate change is focused on the theoretical. This learning needs to evolve to focus on what’s happening now in the world, including the UN’s commitments and targets to improve sustainability. Too much teaching around sustainability and climate change is focused on the theoretical. This learning needs to evolve to focus on what’s happening now in the world, including the UN’s commitments and targets to improve sustainability.
Making the UN goals part of all students’ learning will help broaden the understanding of what sustainability really means. Being sustainable is often associated with green living, but that is just scratching the surface. As well as positive climate action, true sustainability encompasses equality, economic growth and circular economies, peace and justice, industry and innovation, consumption and production, and work and education.
These are topics that span the breadth of the curriculum, so learning about climate change needn’t be limited to subjects like geography and science. It’s just as relevant to teach this in subjects such as maths, English and the arts.
Sir David Attenborough’s climate change comments were made to an audience of more than 200 international delegates. They had gathered to discuss how to turn pledges made as part of the Paris climate deal in 2015 into reality. If we want to see real change, these conversations can’t be restricted to global summits. They need to become a constant feature of classroom discussions in order to empower tomorrow’s generation to take positive action and change all of our futures.
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Many children already understand the facts about climate change
Thousands of students marched in Melbourne to demand climate action.
In Poland a Swedish girl recently addressed the United Nations summit on climate change as seen here. Who are the educators and who can teach us best about climate change and what sort of education is needed?
rce gippsland 