Educator Development, Global Education
Create Your Own Partnership for the Global Goals
Ready to make the world a better place? What about doing it alongside other teachers? What about doing it through unlikely connections? Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 focuses on partnerships to achieve all of the Global Goals.
Here are some ideas for connections and partnerships for each of the SDGs so you can focus on one (or many!) with your students. Use these ideas to connect your students to the world, or use a completely different idea of your own!
Since 1990, extreme poverty rates have been cut in half. Still, more than 760 million people around the world live on less than $1.90 a day. Consider partnering with a local organization in your community that helps alleviate poverty. You can also volunteer or fundraise for Oxfam International, a worldwide organization working to end poverty.
Serve a meal at a local soup kitchen or volunteer at a food pantry. Consider doing this with your students after the winter holidays, when many organizations may struggle with getting donations and volunteers after the holiday rush. If traveling isn’t an option, you can also collect food at your school.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Find a local health clinic in your area and ask what their needs are to see if you and your students can help. You can also promote exercise and healthy eating at your school and in your community by partnering with your physical education teacher or school cafeteria for activities.
As educators, you know the importance of this global goal! For almost 70 years, students have been trick or treating at Halloween for UNICEF, the UN’s education arm. Special collection boxes are delivered to students to fundraise. Another way to partner on SDG 4 is connecting to a classroom around the world. Empatico, a free resource for educators, matches you with a class and offers activities and lessons.
Promote girls’ empowerment by starting a Girl Up club or finding one near your community. You could also partner with a local women’s shelter to see what their needs are and ways your students can help.
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Visit your local water treatment facility with your students so they can learn about the water treatment process. Ask the people who work there what the community can do to conserve water and cut down on pollution and waste.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Learn about alternative energy sources near your community. Is there a wind farm, solar panel system or another source the community relies upon? Are there ways you and your students can use clean energy sources? For a global connection, consider partnering with Solar Sister, an organization that provides solar lights to women in rural Africa.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Labor trafficking is just one problem to prohibiting fair working conditions and fair compensation. To help stop labor trafficking, do some research with your students on organizations like the Polaris Project, which helps to stop human trafficking. You can also research companies that focus on sustainability and pay fair wages to workers so that you and your students can make informed decisions.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Contact your local city or regional planning office and ask about future plans and projects for development. If possible, ask them to talk to your students about sustainability and how this plays a role in infrastructure planning.
Reducing economic and social disparities is a huge challenge. You and your students can help through organizations like Kiva, which promote social entrepreneurship through micro-loans. These loans help people around the world start small businesses and attend school.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Part of building sustainable communities is having safe green spaces and parks. Build a school garden or natural play area with your students. For inspiration, check out this school that turned their parking lot into a new green play space.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Talk to your local waste management organization or recycling services. Students can ask what the most common things they see in landfills are and ways they can reduce their own consumption. Students can start a recycling program at your school if you don’t already have one.
Reducing our environmental impact is an important part of combating climate change. Use these volunteer ideas to give your students hands-on experience. Get them thinking about ways they can reduce their energy and water consumption.
Chances are, you don’t live too far from a lake, river, ocean or other body of water. Consider organizing a clean-up event to pick up litter around those areas to prevent trash from getting in the water. Get your entire class, school and community involved!
Search your area for nature conservatories or wildlife refuges. You can even visit a local park or bird sanctuary and volunteer. Students can learn about efforts to protect wildlife in your area and what they can do to help.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Reach out to local government officials and ask students to do research about recent legislation decisions. Lead a class discussion about how these policies affect your community.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
If you’ve made it this far, you’re already thinking about this global goal! The partnership ideas listed above can help you and your students get started with SDG 17 and all the other goals.
Participate has 18 free mini courses, one for each SDG and an introductory course. Explore and sign up for any of them in the Teach the Global Goals community.
Caroline Weeks is a Senior Marketing Coordinator at Participate. You can connect with her on Twitter @caroline_weeks_.