INTRODUCTION
The World’s Largest Lesson is a mission to ensure that every
child in the world grows up knowing and caring about the Sustainable
Development Goals and is inspired to take action to help achieve them. So
far it has reached millions of children in over 100 countries, through the
commitment of educators, civil society organizations, ministries and
passionate individuals working across sectors.
The World’s Largest Lesson brings the Global Goals to children
all over the world, reaching over 130 countries and millions of children
since its launch in September 2015, hosted by Savannah Sellers, NBC News
and MSNBC correspondent and host of NBC’s Stay Tuned, the
conversations explored the themes of education, health and the future.
Joining the lesson were UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, UN
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, UNICEF Goodwill
Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown, Sofia Carson, WHO Director-General Dr
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and others.
Even with the unprecedented challenges created by COVID-19,
it’s important that children understand how they can have a positive impact
in the world and to talk with them about what they can do to help protect
and shape the planet’s future.
The World’s Largest Lesson is not just about sitting in a classroom
and learning something, it’s about using the real world around you to create a bridge between traditional learning and active based learning;
encouraging children to take action, self-reflect and change their lifestyle.
The Sustainable Development Goals – also known as the Global
Goals, provide a blueprint for reimagining how our world could look in a
post-pandemic world. But with so many children learning at home, World’s
Largest Lesson and UNICEF created a “World’s Largest Lesson Live,” which
premiered on 16 June.
It produces free and creative resources for educators to teach
lessons, run projects and stimulate action in support of the Goals. At the
heart of the resources sit animated films written by Sir Ken Robinson,
animated by Aardman and introduced by figures students know and
respect, like Emma Watson, Serena Williams, Malala Yousafzai, Neymar Jr,
Hrithik Roshan and Nancy Ajram. These films establish a context for the
Goals and inspire students to use their creative powers to support and take
action for them.
It operates under a non-commercial creative common licence. It
is produced by Project Everyone and delivered in partnership with UNICEF
and many NGOs, private sector organisations and foundations, the World’s
Largest Lesson reaches students through multiple channels. Ministries of
Education are invited annually to take part. NGOs distribute digital content
through their networks and education organisations, both for and
non-profit, encouraging participation through their communities.
On September 25, 193 world leaders will commit to the Global
Goals – 17 goals to achieve three extraordinary things in the next 15 years.
These goals will aim to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice
and fix climate change by 2030. The campaign will have a seven-day,
pop-up global radio station streaming in over 60 countries – Radio
Everyone will be available to listen to from 26, September.
The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world:
GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 2: Zero Hunger
GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
GOAL 13: Climate Action
GOAL 14: Life Below Water
GOAL 15: Life on Land
GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions.
GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
Innovativeness:
It’s rare for educators right across the world to have access
to creative resources produced by Oscar winners and artists. That’s what they tried to do with the films and comics. It believes that they deserve to
be given the best and most creative tools for the job.
The project includes the following methodologies:
– Creation of bespoke free teacher training and resources for teaching the
SDGs.
– The activation of a volunteer youth network to teach lessons in schools
across the country in one week.
– The deepening of SDGs learning experience for a smaller number of
students invited to take part in after school clubs and generate ideas for
local community projects. A national challenge to award the best ideas
with small grants to bring ideas to life.
– In Nigeria, the leveraging of student experience into a call to action to
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education from 500k children to accelerate the
inclusion of SDGs learning into Nigeria’s national curriculum so that all
students can participate in learning with and for the SDGs.
– The creation of a Progress Event in which students, teachers and
stakeholders join to witness student experience. Within this event
stakeholders and decision makers will meet to discuss the proposal and
identify a plan for move forward.
– The project is inspired and supported by the World’s Largest Lesson,
funded by Avanti Communications and delivered locally by 3 NGOs.
Impact:
Using the Global Goals as a frame for learning and action is current
and relevant. There’s a real sense of excitement in students when they know that it doesn’t matter where they live or what language they speak.
They all share the same ambition for the world.
Immediate impact:
1. 500k children engaged in learning about the Goals.
2. 30k children engaged in after school clubs and local community
action projects
3. 8000 youths, teachers and volunteers trained to teach the SDGs using
resources contextualized for resources.
Prolonged Impact:
Progress towards all children in the country being able to
participate in education for sustainable development either through formal
learning mechanisms or through systemised but informal routes such as
National Youth Service programmes.
Citizen awareness of SDGs and issues of sustainability brought
into homes and communities through teaching of young people. It’s
scalable because it’s easy! It believes that if it opens the door to learning
about Sustainability with the World’s Largest Lesson then the response
from students will inspire schools to take on action projects on their own.
This authentic learning is what young people want.
Conclusion:
It invites to participate in the World’s Largest Lesson activation by
welcoming groups of 2-3 guest facilitators into your grade, 5-7 classrooms
(students aged 9-13 years) to deliver a lesson to introduce your students to
the UN Sustainable Development Goals and inspire student action . The
facilitators will be passionate campaigners for Sustainable Development
issues and part of the delegation of the concurrent Global Festival of
Action, hosted by the UN SDG Action Campaign at the World Conference Center Bonn. Each group of facilitators will consist of 2-3 international
experts and include at least one German speaker. A short programme of
training overseen by World’s Largest Lesson representatives will prepare
them to use the free online pedagogical tools, already utilized by tens of
thousands of teachers in over 40 languages, to support their specialist
knowledge and enthusiasm to deliver a memorable and impactful learning
experience for the students.
In just one day, it aims to activate 100 facilitators to deliver the
World’s Largest Lesson to 2500 students in the city and unite a young Bonn
generation in becoming leaders for a sustainable future. Following the
lesson, the responses of the students will be shared back with 1200
international stakeholders as part of the conclusion.
