Exploring the 17 Global Goals in the Classroom

In this presentation, we will show how the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be brought into everyday classroom activities through simple, meaningful, and action-based projects. As IB PYP teachers in Gaziantep, Turkey, we will share real-life examples such as an integrated farming and bioenergy model (SDG2), recycling campaigns (SDG12), a greenhouse project (SDG13), and equity-focused discussions (SDG5)—making each goal tangible and relevant to students’ lives. Our classroom includes Turkish and Syrian students, and students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and our projects help build inclusion, empathy, and cooperation. The SDGs offer a shared language for students to explore challenges that affect everyone—locally and globally. Our core message is that impactful teaching doesn’t require large budgets—just creativity and intention. These hands-on projects are student-led, age-appropriate, and aligned with the PYP framework. For each goal, we will present adaptable activities created by us or our colleagues. This work empowers students to become problem-solvers, while helping teachers grow through collaboration, interdisciplinary planning, and access to tools like the Global Schools Program, ESD resources, and webinars such as Ages of Globalization. It also promotes a culture of sustainability and active citizenship across our school. We hope to inspire others to view the SDGs not as extra work, but as a powerful tool for building meaningful, inclusive, and future-focused learning—one classroom at a time.