From a classroom project to a city summit: 'Your voice, Your tool' for SDGs

How can one REALLY make a difference?

Start small. Then snowball it. As a teacher, you have the power. As a school leader, you are compelled to take action. 

What are you passionate about? Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, which resonates with you?

Here’s how a project-based learning on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a Grade 10 Class can be scaled into a full-blown youth summit, which schools around your area can attend. 

PHASE 1: CLASSROOM PROJECT

Student Voice via Freeform

“Which of the SDGs resonate strongly with you?” Using FREEFORM, collate the beatings of your students’ hearts and find out which of the 17 global goals are they very passionate about. This is a very important step as Student Voice is very much highlighted here. The results can be the basis for class grouping.

Student Choice via choice of Apple tools

"How can you create a ripple of change?” Students will work on creating an advocacy campaign, following the steps of Project-Based Learning (PBL). Final outputs can be in different formats to highlight the diversity of talents and honor each learner's choice of expression, provided that Accessibility is considered.

• PechaKucha KEYNOTE, with voice recording
• One-Minute video via CLIPS, with subtitles
• Podcast via GARAGEBAND, with text visuals

SDG Gallery Walk via Freeform and Pages

“Is it impactful?” Outputs will be curated again via FREEFORM. Afterwhich, student-advocates will present their campaigns in class. Critics will be assigned, while the rest of the class will give digital feedback via PAGES using this format: Two Stars and One Wish — Two strengths, beautiful points, glows of the campaign; and One suggestion to make the campaign even more impactful.

Make it a Youth Summit - where our students express their advocacy through Apple technology!

PHASE 2: SDG ACTION SUMMIT

School level - Plan an SDG Action Summit as the public presentation of the advocacy campaigns. Mobilize school clubs and organizations to come up with song, poem, or dance numbers themed to SDGs. These will be interspersed in the whole day program for entertainment value.

Division level - Invite schools, both public and private, in your city to participate in the Summit. Encourage them to also showcase their students projects related to SDGs. Be mindful not to duplicate presentations. They may complement the Main Program (Advocacy Campaigns) with showcases as side entertainments. 

City level - Gather civil society, the local government unit, NGOs, community partners, and other stakeholders who actively work on SDG advocacies. Make them part of the conversation as keynote or panel speakers.

Bring in schools around the city and make the SDG Action Summit a consortium!

BOTTOMLINE

Apple Technology, be it device or application, can be a tool for spreading social awareness, building communities, and bringing real change to the world. With students deeply diving into the Global Goals of 2030, we give them the VOICE that is meant to be listened to.

With the SDG Action Summit, students from different schools come together in Collaboration, and not in the old way of competition.