ONE ADVOCATE, ONE PLANET.

Written by Abigail Chifusa, Global Schools Project Officer

Every year on April 22nd, over a billion people worldwide celebrate Earth Day to recognize their collective responsibility to protect the planet.

In honor of this day, the Global Schools Program joins the rest of the world in celebrating with the theme: One Advocate, One Planet.

Over the last decade, many countries have increased their efforts to train teachers who have used different tools to educate students on effects the environment is currently facing, also allowing them to make informed decisions based on scientific knowledge and experience about environmental issues. In likeness to this, the Global Schools Program (GSP) has been training Advocates to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) projects and initiatives globally.

GSP Advocates around the world have championed the use of education inside and outside the classroom in order to save and protect the earth from the challenges of climate change and make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, together with its 17 Goals, the blueprint for a better future. The 2022 Global Schools Program Case Study Guide for Educators offers a compilation of stories from teachers and school leaders worldwide who are transforming local communities by incorporating the SDGs into their school curricula. As case studies from around the world demonstrate, the work of teachers and educators in promoting ESD is crucial to achieving SDG Target 4.7, which aims to ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development by 2030. 

With the majority of the world’s population being young people under the age of 30, education can motivate youth to take action and make informed decisions, also allowing them to learn how to adapt to the harmful changing climate.

While climate change can have huge impacts in the teaching and learning process around the world, education tools can help combat the everyday climate challenges, putting in place adaptation and mitigation measures. A more sustainable world can only be made a reality if schools empower their students with knowledge, values, and skills necessary to respond effectively to the greatest challenges of this century.

It goes without saying that this decade has experienced a rapidly changing climate, and it is even more important to lay a strong foundation in climate literacy, starting with climate education combined with civic participation in different schools and communities. Stories of GSP Advocates on the rebranded Global Schools blog have shown how teachers and schools globally continue to augment the education curriculum by implementing SDGs and ESD in shaping a more resilient and sustainable world.

It is everyone’s duty to save planet earth from all sorts of harmful activities as our well-being solely depends on it.