Abstract

Our world is intricately interwoven, interdependent, and complex. We are all impacted by the severe global issues that our planet and cultures are dealing with. From armed conflicts to extreme poverty to unequal resource management, we are all exposed to these issues. Global Citizenship Education aims at promoting a better world and future through positive civic actions that focus on the development of interconnectedness between people locally and globally. Such an education that also focusses on sustainability ought to prepare learners with the necessary skills, information, attitudes, and values if they are to deal with problems of the twenty-first century and discover ways to address them locally and worldwide. In this context, teachers have a tremendous amount of power to influence social change. They have an impact on students’ lives, aid in forming their worldviews and attitudes, and develop their abilities. The present paper presents excerpts of activities carried out at SIES Institute of Comprehensive Education, an institution training teachers and counsellors to provide Global Citizenship Education (GCED) as envisaged by the United Nations based on the 3 core conceptual domains – cognitive, behavioural and socio-emotional aspects. Adopting the four-dimensional approach of integrating the Learning Content with optimal Pedagogical and learning environments to achieve optimal Learning Outcomes in order to facilitate Societal Transformation, Community based activities from outreach programs to women empowerment courses to participation in plastic waste management activities students are sensitized to contribute towards a better world. The paper reiterates that a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, and sustainable world can be achieved by empowering students to become global citizens and actors in sustainable development.

Keywords: global citizenship education, education for sustainable development, community-based programs