How to talk about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with children? Starting today, elementary school educators across the country will have at their disposal, eight videos explaining what nine of the 17 SDGs are. In each video, children give the explanation. The publication "Education for the Sustainable Development Objectives - Learning Objectives" is also available for further explanation of all the SDGs. The goal is to raise the awareness of the school community about the importance of Education in Sustainable Development (ESD).

This initiative is from the UNESCO Office in Brazil, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, within the SDG international framework and the Education Agenda 2030, and the commitments made by several countries in 2015, among them Brazil.

The series of videos will be launched this Thursday in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, in the presence of children, educators and education managers. The material will be available online on UNESCO’s website and YouTube channel, at bitly.com/videos_eds, with versions in Portuguese, Spanish and English. They will also be part of the eighth Green Screen Circuit Display (link in Portuguese), promoted by the Environment Ministry, which will take place in all Brazilian states.

For children

The idea of identifying the goals of the SDGs in relation to Brazil's Environmental Education and UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) came in 2016, when UNESCO specialists in Brazil, the Ministries of Education and Environment realized there was almost no audio-visual material designed for children ages 7 to 11 about SDGs. Nine of the 17 SDGs were then selected. Each of the selected SDGs contains themes that can be used to raise the awareness of children in this age group, as well as their teachers’.

Publishing

The translated edition into Portuguese produced by UNESCO as a resource for teachers and education managers entitled "Education for the Sustainable Development Objectives - Learning Objectives" is also being launched. The goal is to provide guidelines for educational professionals to use Education in Sustainable Development, therefore, contributing to SDG achievement. 

The guide identifies indicative learning objectives and suggests learning topics and activities for each SDG. It also presents implementation methods at different levels, from the formulation of courses to national strategies, offering guidance and suggestions on how educators can adapt content to concrete learning contexts.

There is a growing international recognition of ESD as part of quality education and a key element for sustainable development. This includes issues of sustainable development in education and learning, such as climate change, health and food care, biodiversity, and the development of an inclusive culture of respect for human rights and diversity. In discussing these issues, individuals are encouraged to be responsible actors who, when addressing challenges, respect cultural diversity and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable world.

Both the videos and the publication are part of a series of resources that UNESCO in Brazil will launch in the coming years on ESD for teachers and school community.

Media contacts: 

• UNESCO in Brazil

Ana Lúcia Guimarães – a.guimaraes(at)unesco.org, +55 (61) 2106-3536, +55 (61) 99966-3287

Fabiana Pullen – f.sousa(at)unesco.org, +55 (61)2106-3596

• Brazilian Ministry of Education  (MEC)

Lúcia Saito - lucia.saito(at)mec.gov.br, +55 (61) 2022-9939

Tercio Amaral - tercioamaral(at)mec.gov.br

• Brazilian Ministry of Environment (MMA)

Media Relations department (Ascom/MMA): +55 (61) 2028-1227