Written by Abigail Chifusa, Global Schools Project Officer.
The new year brings a chance to celebrate the amazing efforts of nine Global Schools Advocates who are making a big impact in their communities.
Through their dedication, creativity, and leadership, they are helping promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while inspiring young people to create positive change.
Here’s a look at their work:
Batoul works to inspire students to become changemakers by raising awareness, encouraging critical thinking, and taking meaningful action on global challenges.
A key moment in her advocacy was participating in COP 16 in Riyadh, where she and her students engaged in important discussions on climate action and sustainability.
Nada Hashish is a dedicated Global Schools Advocate from Egypt who empowers and inspires students to tackle global issues.
She integrates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into fun and challenging activities, helping students understand their importance.
Utku Öztekin, Innovation Center Coordinator at Hisar School, has led significant sustainability initiatives in his school and community.
The 2024-2025 academic year was declared the “Year of Sustainability” at Hisar School, where efforts began to create a comprehensive Sustainability Policy. The policy covers academic, environmental, social, and governance aspects of sustainability.
Initiatives like reducing paper cup usage, sending organic waste to biomethanization facilities, and improving waste management systems to achieve zero waste have been successfully implemented. Activities such as Meatless Monday, responsible electricity use, and a campus accessibility report were also completed. These efforts were shared with the school community through announcements and digital screens.
Teachers aligned their curricula with sustainability goals, and systems were created to track sustainability-related learning outcomes across all grades. Parents were engaged in special sessions, and student committees at middle and high school levels contributed through projects, international collaborations, and a Coursera program.
Balogun Ramota Temitope Gbajabiamila is a Global Schools Advocate in Lagos, Nigeria, who promotes quality education and addresses environmental issues. She successfully introduced SDGs into weekly Technical Drawing lessons for Grades 9, 10, and 12, combining theory with real-life practices like site visits.
Her innovative approach earned her awards, including Best Teacher (Senior Category, 2024) at the Annual Merit Education District 1 Awards and recognition at the Lagos State Festival of Instructional Materials. Ramota also facilitates workshops on recycling and upcycling, empowering students to turn waste into wealth while promoting environmental sustainability.
With the support of her school leaders and mentors, Ramota plans to continue integrating SDGs into her lessons, inspiring students to embrace sustainability and innovation.
Ambily Nair is a Global Schools Advocate at D Y Patil International School, India. She integrates sustainability, global citizenship, and responsible decision-making into the school curriculum.
Ambily has organized workshops, collaborative projects, and campaigns to promote SDG awareness among students and staff. She also played a key role in her school becoming a signatory to the “School Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Her efforts have inspired students, teachers, and administrators to view the SDGs as actionable goals, fostering a generation of global citizens committed to building a sustainable future.
Gloria has motivated students and teachers at an ASP school in Finland to take a whole-school approach to sustainability, raising awareness about the SDGs and promoting meaningful action.
Aanchal Batra, a passionate educator, integrates the SDGs into her classroom to foster global citizenship. She developed a transdisciplinary unit on groundwater conservation and soil depletion themed “Sharing the Planet.”
Through activities like dioramas, water cycle experiments, and field trips to waste management facilities, Aanchal helped students understand environmental challenges. Guest speakers and creative activities like “Freddy and the Fish” further engaged students, inspiring them to take responsibility for environmental conservation.
Nguyen Minh Tai, a chemistry teacher in Vietnam, promotes education for sustainability by integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into his teaching. He organizes initiatives like the Science Film Festival to teach sustainability concepts such as Net Zero and the circular economy.
Tai also trains other educators to incorporate sustainability into their lessons. Activities like “Protein Chemistry and Heavy Metal Poisoning” and “System Thinking and the Haber-Bosch Process” encourage critical thinking about health and industrial processes, aligning with SDGs 3 (Good health and wellbeing), 4 (quality education), and 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure.)
Sayyora Tuksanova promotes Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) by integrating global challenges like urbanization and health into her lessons. She organizes teacher training sessions and creative student activities, such as drawing competitions, to raise awareness about sustainability.
Her work empowers students and teachers to contribute to a sustainable and equitable future.
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