Globeducate Partnership with WWF
Our global partnership with leading conservation charity WWF sees us collaborating across our school network, impacting on the education of more than 40,000 young people each year, ensuring that through engaging and inspiring sustainability education they can drive change. With WWF having played a key role in identifying the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, it is a natural partnership for Globeducate.
Taking action today to protect tomorrow
Working closely with the WWF Education Team, our schools benefit from a varied calendar of events and awareness-raising learning opportunities, online and in person.
The WWF supports Globeducate by sourcing inspirational speakers and experts and offers unique opportunities for these events. Additionally, Globeducate works closely with the WWF in providing teacher training in sustainability education. Below are some of the examples.
Festival of Sustainability
Working with WWF´s Education Team, Globeducate schools join together online once a year to celebrate their successes in sustainability projects. Each school taking part has the opportunity to showcase their projects, priorities and achievements during the academic year. Most of this work is led by the school´s Eco-Council and examples can range from curriculum work in biology, such as learning about plant-based diets, to activities to celebrate Earth Day such as meeting an expert on soil and taking part in Earth Hour. Other activities include: beekeeping and challenges such as ´Meatless Monday´, Recycle-friendly Valentine´s Day, guided nature walks, composting, chicken coop, green roof project and banning single-use plastic in dining halls.
As parents, the message that is being transmitted at school is also reaching home, as our children make us aware of everything they are learning and they ask us to reduce the amount of plastic and to recycle at home, and to use less water.
Sara Mateo, parent, Agora International School Andorra
Undoubtedly, our commitment to Eco-Schools and our work with WWF has made us consider it essential and a fundamental objective to develop a mindset for sustainability and environmental awareness in all of our school community. We are increasingly aware that a small grain of sand from each of us helps maintain a better and healthier planet.
Luis Madrid, Headmaster, Agora Lledó International School
It is truly inspiring to see the huge amount of work Globeducate schools around the world do to prioritise sustainability and work for the good of the planet. Their imaginative ideas show the passion and commitment there is across the network and it is clear that Globeducate are inspiring and empowering a wave of young environmental leaders.
Sophie Peckham, WWF Education Manager
Globeducate at COP 26 - WWF Tree of Promises
Globeducate student promises and messages featured at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in 2021. Through Globeducate´s unique partnership with WWF-UK, our students were invited to contribute “promise leaves” to hang on a WWF Tree of Promises, occupying centre-stage in the Blue Zone of the COP26 Glasgow event. The WWF Tree of Promises was on view to United Nations delegates, the Blue Zone having been the scene of historic negotiations between those with the power to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The tree´s leaves displayed promises from our students, and broadcast in the same space were three student-directed films from three Globeducate schools – ISN Nice, Nobel Algarve British International School and Agora Portals International School. These messages of hope were directed at the decision makers of our planet´s future. Also showcased was the Globeducate manifesto film️, explaining our commitment to shaping the world for a more sustainable planet and fairer future.
Our Planet, Our Business Webinar
This one-hour webinar with an expert panel gives students the chance to submit prepared questions and to listen to experts in sustainability issues discussing their points. Prior to the webinar, students and their teachers watch the WWF and Netflix 30-minute documentary: Our Planet, Our Business.
Webinars such as this provide an incredible opportunity for students to engage in a professional context, to expand their knowledge base and to have their questions answered directly by experts who are working in the field. Through activities such as this, students understand the issues that clearly align with their curriculum work whilst being provided with key messages on actions they can take individually and collectively to impact on our planet´s future.
Our Planet´s Future Summit
This workshop immerses students in the varied and interlinked issues that face our planet and is aimed to build their understanding of the complexities involved in bringing about change at a global level. Teams are divided into Biome expert groups and a World Leaders group and, after each Biome pitches for investment and international agreements, ´World Leaders´ retire to consider their options before leading an engaging, and often lively, round-table discussion.
At this time of planetary emergency, it is vital that the next generation understands not only the science behind the environmental issues we face, but the mechanisms for change. This workshop builds political literacy and systems thinking alongside knowledge and understanding of our planet and the impact of human activities on nature.
Wear it Wild
Across our schools in twelve countries, across the continents of Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, students and teachers raise awareness of endangered species and their habitats, and the impact of human activity on wildlife. This annual WWF event is interpreted by our schools in many different ways including artwork, poetry, song, making costumes, baking and creating masks. WWF asks people in workplaces, schools and homes to be fiercer, braver and louder than we have ever been and to have fun in the process. This is a particularly popular activity with our younger students, and we look forward to finding new and creative ways to celebrate the day in the future.
Teacher development with WWF and TES Institute
Globeducate Eco-Schools coordinators are not only completing existing free online development courses with WWF and TES but they are assisting in piloting new online courses and providing important feedback to enable these courses to benefit other teachers all over the world. This is a key feature of our work with WWF.
The TES Institute and WWF Sustainable Development CPD courses are typically 6 to 8 hours long and develop confidence in teaching sustainability topics, supporting teachers in discovering strategies and activities for the classroom and enabling them to explore how to teach Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) throughout the curriculum and to examine good practice in UK schools. All teachers completing these courses gain detailed insight into WWF resources.