“We always teach and encourage children to give back to their community when they grow up. For me, I think engaging them in issues I feel are relevant to me and society as an alumni is a great way to demonstrate how we care about our community and how I have learned to embrace challenges in life. It was an opportunity for me to be a role model for these young students.”
The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
As a 2019 HUB participant, I had the opportunity to visit my own elementary school (St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School) to put on a “Rethink and Recycle” workshop for grade 4 students. The name for the workshop “Rethink and Recycle” was chosen to remind students to take responsibility and be considerate in their actions. I was inspired to lead a recycling workshop by group discussions that took place at our SDG Hub cohort’s orientation in Jasper. The purpose of the project was to raise awareness about the importance of recycling through education and to encourage students to take part in waste reduction activities.
We always teach and encourage children to give back to their community when they grow up. For me, I think engaging them in issues I feel are relevant to me and society as an alumni is a great way to demonstrate how we care about our community and how I have learned to embrace challenges in life. It was an opportunity for me to be a role model for these young students.
Many of the students at St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School come from low SES (Socio-Economic Status) families. As is well documented, SES plays a vital role in building academic skills, as well as for children’s cognitive development. By promoting Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, we seek a reduction of waste and improvement in resource efficiency that creates a more sustainable economy for all, ensuring the community has adequate resources. With education on responsible consumption and production, young children can make wise daily decisions which is an important step towards confronting some of the world’s largest global challenges and achieving Agenda2030.
“We always teach and encourage children to give back to their community when they grow up. For me, I think engaging them in issues I feel are relevant to me and society as an alumni is a great way to demonstrate how we care about our community and how I have learned to embrace challenges in life. It was an opportunity for me to be a role model for these young students.”
The workshop was successful and engaging. In alignment with the SDGs, students increased their knowledge about recycling and composting through this hands-on workshop. Seeing many students welcoming me at the door with a big smile even before the start of the presentation was definitely heart-warming. The workshop started with a presentation discussing some of the ways to recycle and how to categorize different materials. Students were so eager to share their school composting project with me. I was truly amazed at their enthusiasm!
During the break-out sessions, students had the opportunity to make a hope pigeon, where they wrote down what they hope to see in the future and to play a recycling game. One of the highlights of the workshop was the re-usage of holiday cards as cue cards for the recycling game. Students were not only excited about playing the recycling game but also to see how I’ve turned used cards into something valuable.
“The discussions that took place at the “Rethink and Recycle” workshop made Yiwei Chen feel more connected to her community.”
As the organizer and leader for the workshop, I took on the responsibility to communicate with different organizations. The project would not have been possible without the support from the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC), University of Alberta Sustainability Council, and St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School, all of whom played a vital role in conducting this project. The workshop linked my passion for community service to education. I was astonished by the creative ideas and works from the grade 4 students. The discussions we had in class made me feel more connected to my community. The workshop concluded with a challenge for students to initiate waste reduction activities in their community. I am excited to see their next steps and what incredible members of society they are destined to become!
About the Author
Yiwei grew up in Edmonton. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and is currently a law school student. Her favourite SDG is SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
The Sustainable Development Goals Hub
This blog article is part of a featured series written by youth leading community service projects with the Sustainable Development Goals Hub. They look to engage and encourage all Canadians in their path to becoming actors in a peaceful, just, and inclusive society that is part of a healthy and sustainable world.
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