LIVING THE EXPERIENCE: UP CLOSE & IN ACTION
Making the world their new classroom and breaking away from traditional pathways, students can now explore real action through a new model of immersive and experiential learning
Callouts
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‘No four walls and no learning from the sidelines. School leaders, teachers and parents must actively help students step out and discover how the real world works — and how they can engage more meaningfully in creating a better world for all of us’
– Dr Amreesh Chandra
‘Youth will not be remembered for how much they knew, but for which water bodies they restored, which neighbourhood problems they solved, the communities they impacted, and the SDG solutions they designed’– Sonali Semwal
‘There are so many possibilities beyond science and commerce. I love fashion, and now I know its impact on the environment. As a future entrepreneur, I realise there is a responsibility to create fashion that does not harm the planet and may also help the community – Ananya Tekriwal’ Class 12
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What if learning about sustainability meant stepping out of the classroom and into the places where some of the world’s biggest conversations are actually happening? What if, for some students, the dream is not to take the traditional career route? Also, many students and youth want to do more than observe; they have creative ideas, they understand tech solutions and want to participate in community programs, but don’t know where to begin. That is the spirit behind Education for Sustainable Development and SDG Target 4.7, which calls for young learners to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the 2030 Agenda.
Building on the idea of less chalk-and-talk, more see-it, do-it and live-it, the International School of Sustainability (ISOS), an initiative of House of MOSAIC, is creating opportunities for school students and youth to understand the world around them. For its immersive, experiential and sustainability-led programme, ISOS took its first cohort of school students from India to Bangkok, Thailand, on a three-day educational trip from August 2 to 4 this year.
Students from St. Paul’s School, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, an SDG-aware school, stepped into an international setting as they participated in the ‘International Forum for Sustainable Futures’ at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok. For students, it was sustainability learning in its most real form — listening to keynote addresses, joining panel discussions, meeting and networking with leaders working on sustainable change, and seeing first-hand how global conversations translate into ideas and action.
The students spent the day taking it all in — observing, listening, reflecting and participating in Q&A sessions. The various themes at the event were Climate Action, Innovation and Green Tech, Human Rights, Youth Action, and Education, among others. For many, it was a chance to see that the 17 SDGs are not simply a set of goals in a textbook, but a living conversation involving people, organisations and communities across the world.
Packed with curiosity, the learning continued the next day with a visit to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia Regional Office in Bangkok. The students interacted with Mr Dindo Campilan, Regional Director, IUCN Asia, who shared stories from his experiences, including his time posted in India. He spoke to the students about the importance of biodiversity conservation and nature positivity. He also gave them an insight into the work IUCN is doing across the globe.
Alongside these two significant learning experiences, the programme also included an SDG Hour, conducted by Sonali Semwal, CEO of House of Mosaic, for students in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, focused on building skills and competencies that can open doors to career opportunities in sustainable development.
But ISOS is designed to be more than an international travelling school. Through its training programmes, curated experiences and access to high-level platforms, ISOS hopes to make sustainability something young people can understand, experience and eventually build their futures around. In a world with an apparent knowledge gap among school and college students on global concerning issues, the SDGs are an ideal toolkit. Students are introduced to sustainability knowledge and skills, youth leadership, community action and public speaking opportunities, while gaining a real-world understanding of the global agenda.
Dr Amreesh Chandra, founder of ISOS, tells us, “The idea is simple: look beyond the classroom, discover what is changing around the world, and understand where you can fit into that change. From milestone innovations and industry breakthroughs to grassroots action and global impact, students get a window through which they can learn how different sectors are responding to the challenges of our time — and how these emerging opportunities can shape future careers.”
The next ISOS international cohort is scheduled for mid-January in Bangkok, aiming to bring together a larger group of students and an even wider range of experiences — from the United Nations and local culture to businesses, innovation hubs and the many stories of sustainability unfolding across the city.
ISOS shares that for the students, it is perhaps the beginning of an important shift — from learning about the future to becoming active partners in shaping it.