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Educating for Sustainability

Uniting The World For Our Planet And Our Future

Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. We have all experienced its impact to some degree, but we know that the most significant fallout of climate change will unfairly and disproportionately affect future generations.

As educators, we have a moral imperative to prepare young people for what lies ahead. And that is why sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at UWC.

Our mission to make education a force for peace and sustainability calls us to lead the way as we equip students with the skills, knowledge and applied experiences to become ambitious, resourceful and inspiring changemakers. 

Climate is changing the game; education must change as well. To thrive in careers unknown to them, young people need a framework as dynamic, adaptable and interconnected as the global challenges they face. They need the freedom to discover, explore and extrapolate. They need to witness their diverse, purposeful, and sustainable actions positively impact our planet. These lessons must go beyond theoretical and become experiential. 

Delivering sustainability education requires agile, innovative teachers whose commitment extends beyond the curriculum. They must embrace a holistic approach, which seeks to understand, acknowledge, mentor and support a generation facing global challenges on an unprecedented scale.

When education, youth and opportunity converge – powerful, systemic changes occur. Our challenge is to ensure these powerful forces continue to converge on our campuses for generations to come.
 

 
You can listen back to an exploration of some of these issues in the UWC Climate Education Forum which took place on 22 June 2023. Members of the community came together to discuss the key role of education in combating climate change, with moderation by H.E. Aminath Shauna (Pearson College UWC, 2004-2006), Maldives Minister for Climate Change, and expertise from panellists including, disaster risk management expert, Barrise Griffin (UWC Costa Rica, 2012-2014); environmentalist, author, educator and activist, Bill McKibben; environmental geographer and researcher, Camila Fernández Nion (UWC SEA, 2014-2016); and Vice Principal of Learning Innovation at UWC Atlantic, Marija Uzunova Dang. This was a lively and far-reaching discussion providing valuable insights into driving forward solutions for a sustainable future.
 

Sustainability at UWC and Beyond