Belgium:
Advocacy and awareness-raising
Raising awareness among Belgian pupils on Global Citizenship and Solidarity Education (GCSE) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Project: CARE Belgium
Location: Belgium (schools in the Brussels-Capital region)​​​​
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Context:​​
In Belgium, although young people benefit from access to education and the media, awareness of global issues (climate change, global inequalities, migration, human rights) remains fragmented and often absent from the school curriculum.
Our initiatives aim to fill this gap by integrating Global Citizenship and Solidarity Education (GCSE) into schools and mobilizing civil society and decision-makers through structured advocacy.
These initiatives respond to a growing demand from young people and educators to tackle subjects linked to solidarity and sustainable development, while strengthening the NGO's impact on the national territory.
General objective
Promote Global Citizenship and Solidarity Education (GCSE) by raising students' awareness of global issues and the SDGs.
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Beneficiaries: Students from Athénée Royal Toots and Collège Fra Angelico schools
Specific objectives
The project aims to promote Global Citizenship and Solidarity Education (GCSE) by introducing young people to global issues such as inequality, climate change and human rights, while encouraging responsible and supportive behavior. One of the specific objectives is to raise students' awareness of global issues and familiarize them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through participatory workshops in schools. These workshops include 15 interactive sessions using tools such as Kahoot (interactive quizzes), group work and classroom presentations. Themes covered include general country knowledge, gender equality and social justice. These activities offer a fun and engaging approach to encourage students to think about global challenges and their own role in society.
Another key objective is to equip teachers to integrate notions of global citizenship into their teaching practices in a sustainable way. To this end, the project is developing innovative teaching aids, including a website listing resources on global inequalities and a simplified lexicon to make these notions accessible, as well as portfolios to guide students' learning beyond the awareness-raising sessions introduced. These tools are designed to help teachers deepen their knowledge of the SDGs and convey these notions in an effective and sustainable way.
The first results in 2024 represent 3 classes, or 40 pupils, sensitized to global issues and interdependence between nations, as well as the sustainable integration of global citizenship concepts into the curricula of participating schools. In addition, the project aims to strengthen teachers' pedagogical skills in SDO education, thus contributing to collective awareness and mobilization for a more equitable and sustainable future.