Indonesia is a tropical country on the frontline of climate change. The warming temperatures are threatening its population living along the coastline and endangering its vast rainforests and several animal species. To face up to this challenge, a school in Indonesia is currently making efforts to bring about climate change action.
It all started with Ms. Asha Alexander, UN CC:Learn Champion and Principal of the GEMS Legacy School, in Dubai, UAE. Ms. Alexander, who is a staunch defender of climate change education, has asked all her staff and students to complete six courses on UN CC:e-Learn:
- Gender Equality and Human Rights in Climate Action and Renewable Energy
- Sustainable Diet
- Introductory e-Course on Climate Change
- Children and Climate Change
- Human Health and Climate Change
- Climate Change International Legal Regime
After this successful undertaking at her school, she’s bringing climate education and UN CC:Learn to other countries, such as Indonesia and Italy.
In Indonesia, she has introduced the six UN CC:Learn courses to Sekolah Bogor Raya School, an IB School in Bogor, Indonesia, and the school has also asked its students and staff to complete the courses. The purpose of this partnership is to boost understanding and awareness of climate change at all levels of the school and drive an agenda of sustainability – both locally and nationally – that considers the 2030 Agenda.
At the high-level ceremony to cement their partnership, and in the presence of several government officials and representatives of the education sector in Bogor, the Sekolah Bogor Raya School was empowered to lead Indonesia on Sustainability practices and ensure that Agenda 2030 is achieved by reshaping the curricula to embed the Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, GEMS Legacy School and Sekolah Bogor Raya School are engaged in projects working towards the following SDGs: SDG 6– Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG-12 Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 14– Life below Water.
Ms. Asha Alexander at the high-level event in Bogor, Indonesia.
As part of their collaboration and in addition to taking the UN CC:Learn courses, Sekolah Bogor Raya will lead the municipal schools in Bogor, Bekasi, and Jakarta to follow suit, and introduce the courses to the Afghan Refugee school with who they are associated.
Moving forward, Sekolah Bogor Raya School plans to keep engaging its students in climate action by raising awareness and funding. For instance, the school has already identified opportunities to work on conservation projects to preserve the endangered Orangutans.