Sustainable Development Goals and Youth Action
We are all connected in a global community, and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call us to action to make a better future for everyone. In order to be successful in reaching these goals, all citizens need to be aware of what the issues are and ways to take action. In this mini-course, we introduce the 17 SDGs and explore ways to bring the goals to life with youth. We guide awareness about the current 17 goals with tools to research and decide which issue participants care about most. Guide youth to investigate and volunteer to work toward a particular goal or to pursue a career that enables social justice and change toward these SDGs.
After completing this course (about 45 minutes), the learner is prompted to take a four-question quiz based on the content. Upon successful completion of this quiz, the learner may request a certificate suitable for a professional development portfolio, or as proof of .75 educational clock hours that can be used toward continuing education credit in most states. Please contact your State Department of Education or school district for specific information. Documentation of the completed courses and copies of the certificate are stored under "My Account" of the Learning to Give website where the learner may access (and print) them at any time.
The learner will
- identify the 17 goals.
- investigate what goals they care about.
- make a plan for action and advocacy through one of the goals.
We learn about the history and purpose of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals using video and facts. After young people become familiar with the overall purpose and what the 17 Goals are, they can make them famous and encourage people to take big and small actions. Participants envision a world in which their favorite Goal is reached and reflect on the purpose and personal connections.
This section shares a process to prompt youth leadership with tools and a format to learn about a single Sustainable Development Goal and take action and share what they learned.
Determine the outcome for your students when the class selects a single goal and uses advocacy and voluntary acton to impact it. Relying on the research, presentations, and community resources, they coordinate a service project and social media campaign centered on their chosen goal.
This section provides examples of ways for youth to reflect on their impact and make plans for next steps.
This quiz has four questions based on the mini-course "Sustainable Development Goals and Youth Action." If you answer 75 percent correctly, you will have the opportunity to download a personalized certificate. You may revisit the course and retake the quiz, if desired. There is an additional...