In 2018, UNESCO's Mohatma Gandhi's Institute for Peace and Sustainable Development asked me to create a curriculum on global citizenship and sustainability using the culture of belonging lens for middle school students around the world.
I went to India to launch our Belonging Matters curriculum that we named, “Our Planet, Our Home” and it includes topics such as identity, migration, sustainability, climate change, and much more.
It was exciting to work with such a dedicated and diverse group of middle school teachers from around the world, including Afghanistan’s school for deaf children and youth (see photo below).
What stood out for me the most is how the belonging lens to address these issues resonated with all the teachers, regardless of country and demographic they are working in and with.
Register for UNESCO’s free online training:
Below is a sneak peak of the first draft of the short introduction videos to 4 modules that were later replaced with more youth-friendly animated videos narrated by me.
The framework for fostering global citizenship:
What Home Means:
- A unifying force to foster global citizenship
Why Belonging Matters:
- A belonging lens to view social and environmental challenges to foster global citizenship
Sample modules that apply the framework to two global issues involving sustainability:
Migration:
Climate Change:
These videos were later replaced with animated videos with me narrating. You can see the final versions when you register here.
Jessie presents the Belonging Matters curriculum at UNESCO MGIEP’s “Transforming Education for Humanity Conference” in India (November 2018)
