Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
103 Results found
Podcast: Learning for the Future; Education for Sustainability Year of publication: 2024 Author: Alicia Santi | Maximiliano Molina Corporate author: Chile Foundation | Educarchile In this edition of the podcast: Learning for the Future, we develop, together with CEDEUS, the topic of "Education for Sustainability" and the multidimensional view of this phenomenon in educational establishments. 
Teaching resource kit for dryland countries: a creative approach to environmental education Year of publication: 2007 Author: Thomas Schaaf Corporate author: UNESCO Entitled A Creative Approach to Environmental Education/Teaching Resource Kitfor Dryland Countries, the kit is intended for secondary-school teachers in countries affected by desertification and is based on an innovative approach appealing to the creativity and artistic sensibility of pupils aged 10 to 15 years. This approach favours discovery of the environment through the senses, and emphasizes the visual and exploratory aspects of environmental study. The idea of using creativity and artistic sensibility to promote ecological awareness may in the future become a source of collaboration to be explored in detail by the different sectors of UNESCO. Working knowledge: symbiosis of programmes in science teaching, environmental education, and technical and vocational education Year of publication: 2006 Author: Saif R. Samady Corporate author: UNESCO UNESCO’s work in science teaching began shortly after the Organization was established. After the Second World War, many schools in Europe were in great need of science equipment. To meet this need, the Organization sponsored the publication of a small volume entitled Suggestions for Science Teachers in Devastated Countries. The book was further developed to include a wide range of guidelines for simple equipment and science experiments and published in 1956 as the UNESCO Source Book for Science Teaching. Over the years, the Source Book was revised several times and translated into more than twenty-five languages. During five decades, the Organization promoted worldwide exchange of information and innovations in science education and assisted many Member States, especially the developing countries, in setting up science teacher training programmes, curriculum development centres, and projects for design and development of science equipment. Sandwatch: adaptar-se à mudança climática e educar para o desenvolvimento sustentável Year of publication: 2012 Author: Gillian Cambers | Paul Diamond Corporate author: UNESCO Sandwatch provides a framework for children, youth and adults, with the help of teachers and local communities, to work together to critically evaluate the problems and conflicts facing their beach environments, and to develop sustainable approaches to address these issues. It also helps beaches become more resilient to climate change. The preliminary chapters of this publication focus on how to get started with Sandwatch activities and examine ways to address climate change impacts. The principle aim of this publication is to document the Sandwatch methodology: monitoring, analysing, sharing and taking action. An activities-orientated approach is used to provide step-by-step instructions to cover monitoring methods and data analysis, including observation and recording, erosion and accretion, beach composition, human activities, beach debris, water quality, waves, longshore currents, plants and animals. The activities are related to (a) sustainable development issues, including: beach ownership, mining beaches for construction material, conflict resolution between different beach users, pollution, conservation of endangered species, and (b) climate change adaptation issues: sea level rise, rising temperatures, ocean acidification and increased extreme events. Ways to share findings and create a Sandwatch network are detailed including methods such as the use of local media, websites, social networking and video production. Finally, ways are discussed to design, plan and implement a Sandwatch project to fulfill one or all of the following criteria: (a) addressing a particular beach-related issue, (b) enhancing the beach, and (c) promoting climate change adaptation. Sandwatch stands as an example of Education for Sustainable Development in action, and is being targeted as one of several flagship projects for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). As the world confronts the growing threat of climate change, Sandwatch presents an opportunity to help people and ecosystems respond to present and future changes in a practical manner. Beaches are among the ecosystems most at risk from climate change as they face rising sea levels and increased more intense storms. By contributing to ecosystem health and resilience, Sandwatch can help people from all walks of life learn about climate change and how their actions can contribute to the adaptation process. Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development Year of publication: 2014 Corporate author: UNESCO We, the participants of the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development held in AichiNagoya, Japan, from 10 to 12 November 2014, adopt this Declaration and call for urgent action to further strengthen and scale up Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), in order to enable current generations to meet their needs while allowing future generations to meet their own, with a balanced and integrated approach regarding the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. This Declaration recognises that people are at the centre of sustainable development and builds on the achievements of the United Nations (UN) Decade of ESD (2005-2014); the deliberations of the UNESCO World Conference on ESD in Aichi-Nagoya; and the Stakeholder Meetings held in Okayama, Japan, from 4 to 8 November 2014, namely, UNESCO ASPnet International ESD events, the UNESCO ESD Youth Conference, the Global Regional Centres of Expertise Conference, and other relevant events and consultation processes, including regional ministerial meetings. We express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Japan for hosting the UNESCO World Conference on ESD. International implementation scheme for the UN decade of education for sustainable development, 2005-2014 Year of publication: 2005 Corporate author: UNESCO In December 2002, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to put in place a UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, lasting from 2005 to 2014. UNESCO was tasked with leading the Decade and developing an International Implementation Scheme (IIS). Sandwatch: adapting to climate change and educating for sustainable development Year of publication: 2010 Author: Gillian Cambers | Paul Diamond Corporate author: UNESCO Sandwatch provides a framework for children, youth and adults, with the help of teachers and local communities, to work together to critically evaluate the problems and conflicts facing their beach environments, and to develop sustainable approaches to address these issues. It also helps beaches become more resilient to climate change. The preliminary chapters of this publication focus on how to get started with Sandwatch activities and examine ways to address climate change impacts. The principle aim of this publication is to document the Sandwatch methodology: monitoring, analysing, sharing and taking action. An activities-orientated approach is used to provide step-by-step instructions to cover monitoring methods and data analysis, including observation and recording, erosion and accretion, beach composition, human activities, beach debris, water quality, waves, longshore currents, plants and animals. The activities are related to (a) sustainable development issues, including: beach ownership, mining beaches for construction material, conflict resolution between different beach users, pollution, conservation of endangered species, and (b) climate change adaptation issues: sea level rise, rising temperatures, ocean acidification and increased extreme events. Ways to share findings and create a Sandwatch network are detailed including methods such as the use of local media, websites, social networking and video production. Finally, ways are discussed to design, plan and implement a Sandwatch project to fulfill one or all of the following criteria: (a) addressing a particular beach-related issue, (b) enhancing the beach, and (c) promoting climate change adaptation. Sandwatch stands as an example of Education for Sustainable Development in action, and is being targeted as one of several flagship projects for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014). As the world confronts the growing threat of climate change, Sandwatch presents an opportunity to help people and ecosystems respond to present and future changes in a practical manner. Beaches are among the ecosystems most at risk from climate change as they face rising sea levels and increased more intense storms. By contributing to ecosystem health and resilience, Sandwatch can help people from all walks of life learn about climate change and how their actions can contribute to the adaptation process. Climate change starter's guidebook: an issues guide for education planners and practitioners Year of publication: 2011 Author: Alejandro Deeb | Amber French | Julia Heiss | Jason Jabbour | Dominique LaRochelle | Arkadiy Levintanus | Anna Kontorov | Rummukainen Markku | Gerardo Sanchez Martinez | Rosalyn McKeown | Nicolay Paus | Antoine Pecoud | Guillaume Pénisson | Daniel Puig | Vanessa Retana | Serban Scrieciu | Morgan Strecker | Vimonmas Vachatimanont | Benjamin Witte | Noriko Yamada. Corporate author: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) The Climate Change Starter’s Guide provides an introduction and overview for education planners and practitioners on the wide range of issues relating to climate change and climate change education, including causes, impacts, mitigation and adaptation strategies, as well as some broad political and economic principles. The aim of this guide is to serve as a starting point for mainstreaming climate change education into school curricula. It has been created to enable education planners and practitioners to understand the issues at hand, to review and analyse their relevance to particular national and local contexts, and to facilitate the development of education policies, curricula, programmes and lesson plans. The guide covers four major thematic areas: 1. the science of climate change, which explains the causes and observed changes; 2. the social and human aspects of climate change including gender, health, migration, poverty and ethics; 3. policy responses to climate change including measures for mitigation and adaptation; and 4. education approaches including education for sustainable development, disaster reduction and sustainable lifestyles. A selection of key resources in the form of publication titles or websites for further reading is provided after each of the thematic sections. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) provides its expertise and know-how in areas such as education, culture, and the social sciences. In particular, UNESCO emphasises the role of education in support of climate change adaptation and mitigation in providing skills and capacities but also through shaping the values, attitudes and behaviours needed to put the world on a more sustainable path. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) works with countries to strengthen their ability to adapt to climate change, move towards low-carbon growth, reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, improve understanding of climate science, and raise public awareness of the changing climate. UNEP is supporting countries to seize the opportunities of moving towards low-carbon growth, while improving human health and well-being, generating green jobs and moving towards a green economy. With this publication, the two organizations have embarked on a collaboration on climate change education that we are committed to building upon and expanding in the period ahead. Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development: a joint initiative by UNESCO and the government of India Year of publication: 2013 Corporate author: Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of India are embarking on a major new partnership to create the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. Through research and capacity-building, the Institute aims to develop and promote new approaches to education, empowering learners to transform their lives and build a more peaceful and sustainable world. Based in New Delhi, this will be the first UNESCO specialized education Institute in India, and the first in the Asia-Pacific region. It is particularly fitting that the Institute is hosted by India, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and a country that has made a significant commitment to education over the past decades. Education sector technical notes: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Year of publication: 2013 Corporate author: UNESCO The Education Sector is called to implement a significant and broad mandate, covering many challenging issues in education in a diverse and fast-changing world. More than ever, we need to better focus and ensure greater cohesion in implementing this mandate. This document is part of a series of Technical Notes that have been developed by colleagues in the Education Sector in order to facilitate programme delivery in thematic areas related to the work of the Sector. The Technical Notes are meant to serve as a quick reference tool for UNESCO staff, providing a brief overview including basic knowledge, key priorities for UNESCO and future directions as well as practical information on each topic.