Exeter runner up in ‘SDG teach-in’ which aims to embed sustainability into all education
Emily Pink of Stitch by Stitch at one of the SDG Teach-In events. Credit: Kay Cameron
The University of Exeter has come second in an annual competition to put sustainability at the heart of its educational activities.
The SDG Teach-In is a national campaign run by SOS (Students Organising for Sustainability) in which educators pledge to include the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) within their teaching, learning and assessment.
Ninety-four institutions entered this year’s competition, which ran throughout March.
In Exeter, it included events dedicated to careers in sustainability and environment, with talks covering subjects as varied as working in food, careers in renewable energy, developing adaptation pathways to manage future floods, and a clothes exchange with Behind the Seams.
There was a Q&A with the Environment Agency, a keynote from Professor James Dyke and a Global Systems Institute seminar in which leading scholars reviewed the latest and most pressing findings in climate change research.
“I am delighted Exeter came second in this year’s SDG Teach-In for the number of students reached – thank you to everyone who took part,” said Joanna Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at the University of Exeter.
“The Teach In is a great way of raising awareness of the SDGs and builds on our work with Responsible Futures to further embed them in our curriculum.”
The Teach-In campaign saw more than 1,000 educators across 17 countries pledge to take part in embedding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into their teaching and learning, reaching 120,000 learners worldwide.
The SDGs are part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies to improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and preserving oceans and forests.
