How Do You Teach Undergraduate University Students …
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selection of courses and content connections, the sequencing of co-curricular activities and application of knowledge outside of the classroom, and future goals and
aspirations as they relate to the UN SDGs. Efforts to highlight other departments and
courses at the college that complement the core curriculum and draw from the expertise of colleagues in diverse disciplines is an important part of this advising. Once
students reach their fourth year, they should feel comfortable identifying how their
own passions and experiences align with specific SDGs and how those connections
are made through their year-long senior independent research project.
11 Successful Student Integration
While not every student that graduates with a degree in ESS applies the UN SDGs
to her or his work, many graduates are uniquely qualified to understand the interconnectivity of the 17 goals. One example is Mirno who, following graduation, has
worked for several refugee resettlement agencies around the world. Hired at first to
manage simple logistics like ensuring availability of clean water and sanitation (Goal
6), Mirno has quickly risen in positions of responsibility because of his acknowledgement that supplying clean water and sanitation are intimately tied to Good Health
and Wellbeing (Goal 3), Gender Equality (Goal 5), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (Goal 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11), Life Below Water
(Goal 14), Life on Land (Goal 15), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (Goal 16),
and Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17). In only a few years he has become the
primary logistics and systems analyst for war refugees from Syria, Iraq, Myanmar,
and the Congo in camps with tens of thousands of inhabitants.
At a more local level, another recent graduate Taylor has applied the UN SDGs to
issues of food security in rural America. She teaches low-income students in schools
how to grow, purchase, and cook with wholesome foods. Her curricula address: No
Poverty (Goal 1), Zero Hunger (Goal 2), Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3),
Quality Education (Goal 4), Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10), Sustainable Cities and
Communities (Goal 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), and
Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17).
12 Conclusions
Application of the UN SDGs to Allegheny College’s ESS has produced graduates
with the comprehension that promoting sustainable development requires the integration of the UN SDGs. This is achieved via a curriculum that moves students through
a process of thinking, analyzing, researching, and applying components of all 17
SDGs to local through global challenges, providing both a scaffolded core set of
courses with the flexibility for specialized focus and depth of understanding around
topics of student interest. Even still, our experience suggests that in order for students
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selection of courses and content connections, the sequencing of co-curricular activities and application of knowledge outside of the classroom, and future goals and
aspirations as they relate to the UN SDGs. Efforts to highlight other departments and
courses at the college that complement the core curriculum and draw from the expertise of colleagues in diverse disciplines is an important part of this advising. Once
students reach their fourth year, they should feel comfortable identifying how their
own passions and experiences align with specific SDGs and how those connections
are made through their year-long senior independent research project.
11 Successful Student Integration
While not every student that graduates with a degree in ESS applies the UN SDGs
to her or his work, many graduates are uniquely qualified to understand the interconnectivity of the 17 goals. One example is Mirno who, following graduation, has
worked for several refugee resettlement agencies around the world. Hired at first to
manage simple logistics like ensuring availability of clean water and sanitation (Goal
6), Mirno has quickly risen in positions of responsibility because of his acknowledgement that supplying clean water and sanitation are intimately tied to Good Health
and Wellbeing (Goal 3), Gender Equality (Goal 5), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (Goal 9), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11), Life Below Water
(Goal 14), Life on Land (Goal 15), Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (Goal 16),
and Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17). In only a few years he has become the
primary logistics and systems analyst for war refugees from Syria, Iraq, Myanmar,
and the Congo in camps with tens of thousands of inhabitants.
At a more local level, another recent graduate Taylor has applied the UN SDGs to
issues of food security in rural America. She teaches low-income students in schools
how to grow, purchase, and cook with wholesome foods. Her curricula address: No
Poverty (Goal 1), Zero Hunger (Goal 2), Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3),
Quality Education (Goal 4), Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10), Sustainable Cities and
Communities (Goal 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (Goal 12), and
Partnerships for the Goals (Goal 17).
12 Conclusions
Application of the UN SDGs to Allegheny College’s ESS has produced graduates
with the comprehension that promoting sustainable development requires the integration of the UN SDGs. This is achieved via a curriculum that moves students through
a process of thinking, analyzing, researching, and applying components of all 17
SDGs to local through global challenges, providing both a scaffolded core set of
courses with the flexibility for specialized focus and depth of understanding around
topics of student interest. Even still, our experience suggests that in order for students