What actions can we take to support reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in our community?
A Grade 3 class was taking part in a large inquiry about human rights and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. After learning about and researching each of the 17 goals, the teacher and teacher-librarian asked the question, “What actions can we take to support reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals in our community?” During a class brainstorming session, one learner suggested that the class go out in the community for monthly “kindness walks.” After more discussion, other learners suggested that each walk should focus on one of the goals. The class created a “Calendar of Helping” and began to make plans for each month.
In the first month, the class decided to focus on Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. They walked through the community, and greeted and waved to people they passed. Learners thought that this would help to improve the mental health and sense of belonging of the community members that they saw on their walks. When the learners returned from their walk, they reflected on this experience in their journals, considering what they were thinking and feeling as well as how they could extend this experience beyond the day.
In the second month, learners decided to focus on Goal 15: Life on Land and to do a community cleanup. They also thought it was important to continue to wave and greet any community members they saw along the way. The following month, learners decided to focus on Goal 1: No Poverty,and they organized a school-wide toy drive for Toy Mountain. They walked the toys over to the local firehall during their kindness walk. Reflective practices, such as journalling or small/large group discussions, continued to be a regular practice after each initiative.
The following month, after learning about a fire in a neighbourhood school, learners decided to focus on Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being again, wanting to do something kind for the learners and teachers. With help from the classroom teacher and teacher-librarian, they recruited the support of a divisional consultant to purchase copies of Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds’s book I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience for each classroom. They wrote cards and delivered the books during their monthly walk.
During their final month, learners decided to continue promoting the goals and made cards with artwork on the front and kind messages inside to deliver to houses on the streets surrounding the school. During their kindness walk, they placed the cards in mailboxes. This walk had a huge impact on the community and on the learners in the class. The school received many phone calls and emails from community members saying how much they appreciated the notes and how they brightened their day. One message came from a community member who reminisced about watching the school being built, attending events with his own children, and now seeing kids walking to and from the school each day. He had recently lost his wife and appreciated the card that came in his mailbox.
Along the way, learners decided to call themselves “The Difference Makers” and even came up with a slogan for their group: “It only takes a small thing to make a big difference.” They commented on the importance of everyone doing their part and tried to spread the message to other classrooms and their own families. As this group of learners continued to find creative and thoughtful ways to make a difference in their school and local community, they inspired many with their message of hope and with the way they embraced their role of “difference makers” for the future!
United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “The 17 Goals.” Sustainable Development. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
Verde, Susan. I Am Courage: A Book of Resilience. Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, Harry N. Abrams, 2021.
