The school organizes field trips in the mangroves with students, teachers, parents, and environmental organizations to provide hands-on learning experiences and to help reforestation of this ecosystem.
“During many months of research I learned, laughed, and enjoyed every day,” says student José David Ladeux. “I met people who had great knowledge and experience about the care of mangrove ecosystems. My engagement in the project led me to become a guardian of the mangrove ecosystem. I learned to value and not to mistreat the species that inhabit the mangrove.”
Ezequiela Tovar Mercado is a teacher at this school and has been leading the Mangroves Initiative, as an alternative way of teaching focused on understanding and addressing local environmental challenges. This approach combines social and ecological elements to foster a deeper appreciation for nature and promote environmental responsibility among students.
Teaching innovative practices to preserve the environment
“Teaching for sustainability is an act of love for life: It’s the best way to build peace and reconciliation in the territories,” says Ms Mercado. “A challenge that the school must address, since we have a debt with the planet.”
The Mangroves Initiative embraces environmental education and actively engaging young learners to both preserve nature and understand how to tackle global environmental challenges.
The Santa Fe Educational Institution serves a total of 1,450 students from preschool to grade 11 and is committed to sustainability practices and initiatives. The Mangroves Initiative is an excellent example of how schools can use their local environment to promote innovative practices and activities to engage students to preserve the environment. This type of initiative can be adapted at a national scale and be included in national education plans. Colombia is now developing an education for sustainable development (ESD) country initiative aiming to integrate ESD into the national education system and to expand successful initiatives such as the Mangroves Initiative.
“As a guiding educator, I take pride in contributing to the holistic development of the children and youth who have breathed life into this wonderful initiative,” says Ms. Mercado. “I have been able to plant a seed for sustainability within them.”
Ezequiela Tovar Mercado was invited as a speaker to the ESD-Net Learning Webinar held on 28 March 2024 on Local and Indigenous Knowledge in ESD. Organized by UNESCO, the webinar addressed the importance of integrating traditional and cultural practices, and community-based approaches, into teaching and learning to foster environmental stewardship, social equity, and resilience among present and future generations in Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
- More on UNESCO’s work in education for sustainable development
