Inspiring Education Initiatives

Introduction

Education is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills, but also about developing values and attitudes that foster peace and sustainability. In a world facing multiple challenges, such as climate change, social injustice, and violent extremism, education can play a vital role in transforming learning spaces into platforms for positive change.

In this blog post, I will share some inspiring stories of education initiatives that have transformed learning spaces in different contexts and regions, and how they have impacted the lives of learners and educators.

UNESCO MGIEP: Building Social and Emotional Skills for Learners

The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is a Category I Institute of UNESCO that focuses on promoting peace and sustainable development through education. One of its main missions is to build social and emotional skills (SEL) for learners, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

SEL refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s emotions, empathize with others, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts peacefully. Research shows that SEL can enhance academic performance, mental health, and civic engagement of learners.

MGIEP has developed several innovative programmes and tools to foster SEL in formal and non-formal education settings, such as:

• FramerSpace: A digital learning platform that allows learners to create, share, and collaborate on projects that address real-world issues, such as climate change, gender equality, and human rights. FramerSpace uses gamification, storytelling, and peer feedback to engage learners and develop their SEL competencies.
• Kindness Matters: A global campaign that encourages learners to perform acts of kindness and share their stories online. The campaign aims to create a culture of kindness and compassion among learners and educators, and to inspire them to take action for the common good.
• Youth Waging Peace: A youth-led initiative that empowers young people to prevent violent extremism through education. The initiative provides training, resources, and mentorship to youth leaders and educators to design and implement SEL-based interventions in their communities.

Revisiting 2020: 10 Educational Initiatives that Impacted the Lives of Students Amidst a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of millions of students around the world, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups. However, it has also sparked creativity and resilience among educators, students, and civil society organizations, who have found innovative ways to ensure continuity and quality of learning during the crisis.

SocialStory, a platform that showcases stories of social impact, has compiled a list of 10 educational initiatives that have made a difference in the lives of students amidst the pandemic. Some of these initiatives are:

• Pratham Books: A non-profit organization that creates and distributes high-quality books for children in multiple languages. During the lockdown, Pratham Books launched a digital library called StoryWeaver, which offers free access to over 20,000 stories in 250 languages. The platform also allows users to create, translate, and share their own stories.
• Teach For India: A movement that recruits and trains young leaders to teach in low-income schools and communities. During the pandemic, Teach For India shifted to online and blended learning models, and provided devices, internet access, and learning materials to students and families. The movement also launched a campaign called #StudentsCan, which showcases the achievements and aspirations of students from underprivileged backgrounds.
• Akshaya Patra: A non-governmental organization that provides mid-day meals to over 1.8 million children in government schools across India. During the pandemic, Akshaya Patra expanded its operations to provide cooked meals, grocery kits, and happiness kits to students and their families, as well as frontline workers and migrants. The organization also partnered with state governments and corporates to support the relief efforts.

Transforming Learning Spaces through Imagination

Learning spaces are not only physical environments, but also social and emotional ones, where learners interact with each other and with the world. Therefore, learning spaces can be transformed by using imagination, creativity, and inquiry, to foster a sense of wonder and curiosity among learners.

A recent example of this is the story of a group of students from the International School of Hyderabad, India, who participated in a project called “Transforming Learning Spaces through Imagination”. The project was inspired by the SharingPYP Blog, a platform that showcases best practices and stories from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB).

The project involved students exploring different topics of their interest, such as astronomy, mythology, and art, and creating learning spaces that reflected their inquiries and passions. For instance, some students transformed their classroom into a planetarium, where they learned about the stars and constellations, and conducted a night class on star-gazing and light pollution. Other students created a museum of myths and legends, where they displayed their artworks and stories based on different cultures and traditions.

The project not only enhanced the students’ knowledge and skills, but also their attitudes and values, such as collaboration, communication, and respect for diversity. The project also demonstrated how learning spaces can be transformed by using imagination, creativity, and inquiry, to foster a sense of wonder and curiosity among learners.

Conclusion

These are just some of the inspiring stories of education initiatives that have transformed learning spaces in different contexts and regions, and how they have impacted the lives of learners and educators. These stories show that education is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills, but also about developing values and attitudes that foster peace and sustainability.

If you are interested in learning more about these initiatives, you can visit the following resources:

• UNESCO MGIEP: The official website of the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, where you can find more information about their programmes and tools.
• Revisiting 2020: 10 Educational Initiatives that Impacted the Lives of Students Amidst a Pandemic: The article by SocialStory that showcases 10 inspirational stories of people and NGOs who provided education to students during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Transforming Learning Spaces through Imagination: The blog post by the International School of Hyderabad that shares their experience of participating in the project inspired by the SharingPYP Blog.