EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE <br>DEVELOPMENT
Education is the key to taking action by recognizing, trying and understanding
Education is one of the central factors for individual and social development and should therefore not be missing from any of our Tropica Verde projects. We advocate the approach of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an educational concept developed by the United Nations. It stands for education that enables people to think and act in a sustainable way.
What is Education for Sustainable Development?
Education for Sustainable Development, or “ESD” for short, enables learners to make informed decisions and act responsibly to protect the environment, create a sustainable economy and a just society for current and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity. The aim and purpose is to transform society.
Action-oriented learning based on global topics
In pedagogy, the aim is to achieve learner-centered learning that is research-based, action-oriented and transformative. Topics should illustrate the global dimension of behavior, relate to everyday life and be relevant to learners. They should have long-term significance and ideally include ecological, economic, social or cultural aspects. They should also offer opportunities for participation and action and involve cooperation partners from Costa Rica. The educational programs developed should promote the design skills of ESD, such as integrative knowledge building, forward-looking thinking and action, interdisciplinary insights, motivating others to take action, shaping transformations, etc. Pupils should learn to organize and structure their learning processes independently, with plenty of space given to their individual learning processes. The learning content is expanded to include the acquisition of methodological, social and personal skills.
Pulling in the same direction!
We are guided by global framework agreements and conventions that relate to important areas of sustainable development, such as the Priority Action Areas of the UNESCO Roadmap of the Global Action Program on ESD, Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its work programs, Article 13 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its work programs, and the Sustainable Lifestyles and Education Program of the 10-year framework program for the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns (2012-2021). We are also committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have conducted a survey to determine our focus on the four most important SDGs for Tropica Verde .
The aim is to empower people to transform their world
The promotion of core skills such as critical and systematic thinking and the assumption of responsibility for current and future generations can be encouraged, for example, by learning a sustainable lifestyle. Learners of all ages should be empowered to change themselves and the society in which they live; people should become “global citizens” who engage both locally and globally to solve problems of unsustainable development and transform them towards sustainable development.
Strengthening the role of education through Tropica Verde
For 30 years, Tropica Verde has been involved in educational projects in Costa Rica and Germany to raise awareness for the protection of the rainforest. Our actions here influence life there: pineapples from Costa Rica that we buy are one example. Through our consumption, we promote working conditions and the use of pesticides. Education for a connected world is our key to change.
Education is part of all projects in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, we focus on education for sustainable development. The country, which is home to 6% of the world’s biodiversity, shows how important nature conservation is. Only an untouched rainforest can continue to provide vital resources such as oxygen and water.
We are also committed to a different kind of education in Germany!
Tropica Verde in Germany shows the importance of native forests and their similarity to Costa Rica’s rainforests. Through interactive modules, film evenings and lectures, nature conservation can be experienced by everyone. IGS Nordend has supported reforestation in Costa Rica with a charity run and made its school CO2-neutral. Our projects bring the beauty and importance of the rainforest closer.
