Global Schools launches fourth cohort of the Advocates Program to build capacity of teachers on SDGs

April 25th, 2023: The Global Schools Program (GSP) is launching applications for the fourth cohort of the Global Schools Advocates Program. This program promotes transformative change in classrooms in support of SDG 4.7 by integrating sustainable development into teacher training to improve student learning. 

Selected teachers will undergo a month-long training program on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The training program will be delivered online, with the ability for teachers to interact with a global cohort of educators. During the comprehensive training program, educators will be introduced to the SDGs and learn about action based pedagogy and ideas to integrate ESD, Global Citizenship Education, and 21-st century skills into the classrooms. Over 98% of the educators in the pilot cohort across 50 countries recommended the training to colleagues, and 97% agreed that the training gave them new ideas to try in the classroom. 

Some of the topics that will be covered in the training include: relevance of sustainable development for education; ESD Pedagogy; active teaching strategies for the classroom; connecting SDG targets to your national connext; lesson planning and learning objectives; ideas for classroom assessment; the whole-of-school approach; and more! To see the full syllabus for the training course, please click here. 

After the successful completion of the training, educators will receive the Global Schools Advocate title as well as the Global Schools Advocate Toolkit and begin their journey to integrate ESD into schools. Advocates will be tasked with inspiring their fellow teachers and school leaders to take-up action for the SDGs, as well as incorporate sustainable development within their lesson plans. Advocates will act as a driving force within their school community to ensure sustainable development is introduced and adopted into school curriculum and operations. 

Teachers accepted to the program will receive:

• Free online training, developed by the Global Schools team to increase sustainable development literacy and provide teachers with new, active strategies to implement in the classroom;

• Monthly online workshops and conversations on sustainable development to connect educators with other education leaders and SDG Advocates;

• Access to an educator network of like-minded teachers working to implement activities and lessons on global issues within their classrooms;

• Visibility opportunities and participation in conferences as top candidates can be selected to share their advocacy work at the International Conference on Sustainable Development, the Vatican Youth Symposium, the ECOSOC Youth Forum, and in the Global Schools Case-Study Guide;

• Structured mentorship program with an experienced educator who has already completed the Global Schools Advocates program;

• A comprehensive Advocates Toolkit with 17+ supporting documents meant to guide their work in school communities;

• A formal Certificate of Completion.

Teachers may find the full terms of reference and requirements for this position here. All primary and secondary teachers worldwide are invited to apply.

For more information about the Advocates Program, media inquiries, and interview requests, please contact: globalschools@unsdsn.org

For more information on Global Schools visit: globalschoolsprogram.org

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About the organization: Global Schools is an initiative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) is a global research and policy network launched by the UN Secretary-General to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The SDSN is considered to be one of the world’s leading organizations in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), with the Global Schools Program leading the K-12 sector.