Apply for the UN SDSN Global Schools Advocates Program for educators and school leaders globally!

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UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Global Schools Advocates Program

Providing teachers and school leaders with the training and resources to create a more sustainable world!

Education for sustainable development providers learners with the knowledge, skills, and values to address world challenges such as sustainability, justice, and inequality.

Global Schools Advocates Program Overview

Global Schools’ flagship initiative, the Global Schools Advocates Program, is a cohort-style program for educators and school leaders globally who want to integrate themes of sustainable development into their classrooms. Developed with insights gathered from over 220 sustainable development experts and 40+ educators, the program supports schools in integrating sustainable development into school curricula, operations, and pedagogy. The program provides educators with: 1.) training and pedagogical materials 2.) a global community of liked-minded educators.

GLOBAL SCHOOLS ADVOCATES PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Global Schools Advocates are teachers and school leaders working at the pre-primary, primary and secondary school levels. They act as local action planners, working together with their school community to bring sustainable development to classrooms.

Global Schools Advocates Program Training

Advocates will complete the training program to enhance their understanding of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). During the comprehensive training program, educators will be introduced to the Sustainable Development Goals and gain ideas to integrate ESD into their classrooms. 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 in their school. The training takes place online in an asynchronous format, with optional synchronous lectures, and is expected to take approximately 10-15 hours.

Introduce ESD to School Community

Advocates will introduce Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to their students, department, and school leadership. This includes carrying out a workshop on ESD with their department to educate other teachers on sustainable development and inspire them to get involved. Using provided resources and methodologies, Advocates will also be able to introduce ESD to their students and fully localize the program to their community context.

Integrate ESD in the school community

Using the provided Advocate Toolkit, Lesson Plans and Activities Guides, Advocates will implement lessons and activities within their classroom or their entire school community that educate students on sustainable development and inspire others to take action. Advocates do not have to commit to a defined curriculum to complete the program – they can tailor the program to meet their own needs as a school community with the help of our dedicated team.

Share with the world

Advocates have the opportunity to engage with educator mentors and attend monthly professional development sessions to share their learnings and exchange ideas with other educators. They are encouraged to share lessons learned with the Global Schools Program team and with their wider community.

Benefits of Participation

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 educators 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.

Requirements

Applicants are teachers at primary or secondary school worldwide (teachers employed through volunteering programs such as UN Volunteers, Fulbright, Teach for All, etc. are also eligible).
Applicants possess a high level of English to complete the Advocates Training and engage with the global network.

Willingness to commit a minimum of 5 hours per week for this role. Global Schools does not require you to implement a defined curriculum. Your 5-10 hours a week should be spent learning, brainstorming with other teachers, experimenting with integrating sustainable development in your lesson plans, and creating a movement for sustainable development in your school.
Passion for the mission of the sustainable development goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. However, no prior experience with the sustainable development goals is required!
Willingness to learn and engage with a global community of teachers.