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UN at Your Doorstep: Quality education takes the limelight at the Learning Planet Festival
By Ellen Dixon, member of the SDG4 Youth & Student Network and the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee (2025 Student Leader)
On 23 January 2025, the SDG4 Youth & Student Network partnered with the and , to present a session for the , as part of the .
The event was part of a series featured in , a free, multidisciplinary online course co-hosted by the , the , , and the . Built on the "", the course empowers a global community of learners - students ages 14+, educators, and lifelong learners - to address today’s sustainable development challenges.
The event aimed to create a dialogue among UN officials, change-makers, and youth, and was designed for high school assemblies, clubs, community non-governmental organizations, and traditional classrooms, addressing the main challenges of our time.
The session included presentations by Yasmine Sherif, the Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait, a global fund for education in emergencies, and Aya Mouallem, the Founder of All Girls Code, a program that empowers young girls in high schools and higher education to learn the foundational skills of coding for various jobs. It also featured presentations from François Taddei, the Founder and President of the Learning Planet Institute; Divya Sharma, a social impact consultant and disability rights advocate from India; and Stefania Giannini, the Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, who delivered the opening statement for the event.
Ellen Dixon, SDG4 Youth & Student Network and Executive Committee Member for the Asia-Pacific region, and youth & students’ representative at the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee facilitated part of the discussion. She was joined by Amanda Abrom, Director of the Global Schools Program, and 14-year-old climate activist, Clara Vieria from Brazil, who moderated other parts of the event. The event was closed by Hannah Ruhland, UNESCO Junior Professional Officer for Education2030, and 14-year-old climate activist, Rafael Bastos, from Brazil.
If you want to have a quality education that serves humanity today, that education needs to entail human rights, humanitarian law, the UN Charter, and basic concepts such as justice, the rule of law, impunity. Every human being today needs to understand that these are the concepts and values and principles that we need to live in a peaceful coexistence for all of humanity. The principle of non-discrimination, tolerance, and I mean, there are so many other things that make up quality education, but I think that if we speak about social inclusion, peace, environmental sustainability, humanity, these are core subjects in such curriculum.
Aya Mouallem shared her experiences working with vulnerable communities, including individuals with disabilities, through her organization. She reminded that technology and education must complement each other in the classroom and the broader world, ensuring that EdTech is not limited to certain communities due to privatization. “Quality education for all means being intentional about leaving no one behind. I really believe in the importance of learning in community, by including everyone, to sustain quality education. This means exposure to real life experiences and ensuring that no fellow student is left behind. It means learning hands-on interactively,” Aya said.
With 251 million children out of school, it is apparent that we must urgently address the global education crisis. I was struck by Yasmine’s comment regarding the importance of emotional intelligence, identifying that perception, self-awareness as well as relational and social skills impact the delivery of education to vulnerable communities. Without a comprehensive communal approach to education at the local and national level, social awareness cannot be built into education governance and action. We also cannot then comprehend how we can mindfully engage in education, to learn from our shared past to build into a better future. It is essential that we continue to uphold the building of critical skills to address communal challenges, for current leaders and for the future leaders of tomorrow.
In summary, this youth-led session brought to light several points. First and foremost was the need for quality education that offers equal access for learners across the globe, ensuring that no one is left behind. The urgency to tackle global challenges like climate change and fast-paced technological changes was also a main takeaway, with a strong emphasis on valuing diverse perspectives and promoting social justice. By focusing on humanity's needs and encouraging collaboration through community partnerships, education can play a vital role in achieving social inclusion, peace, and sustainability.
Note: The Ages of Globalization course, based on Professor Jeffrey Sachs’ seminal book, is available for registration. It covers 70,000 years of history focusing on geography, technology and institutional change, with visits to UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites in a new and thrilling curriculum. The course and the UN at Your Doorstep series will continue to provide content for young people on topics such as climate change, gender equality, AI and others to address contemporary world challenges.
