SUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM IN UWC DILIJAN

Ever since the end of 2022, the sustainability committee in UWC Dilijan has strived to bring their dream into reality. The committee strongly believes that the presence of education about the environment and sustainability on campus is crucial. They are aware that our student body comes from a very diverse background, which means that some students may come from places where education regarding sustainability is lacking or even not available. In a nutshell, the committee wants this sustainability education to be made available to all students, with the hope that they will be more aware of the value of sustainability. We also want to acknowledge the privilege that we have by living on campus, where we are able to enjoy the resources we get from the nature surrounding us. They believe that this is also a way to actualise our UWC value, to achieve peace and a sustainable future! Our students therefore started this project by sending a form to the student body, to be able to scope the range of interest and make sure every voice of the student body is heard. 

In early 2023, the committee started to structure a sustainability curriculum, by creating four big essential topics regarding sustainability: The Climate Crisis; Individual, Community and Structural Changes; Sustainability in Future Careers; and Practical Projects in the Community. The inclusion of trial sessions done by the members of the committee and soliciting feedback from both students and teachers demonstrates their commitment to continuous improvement and responsiveness to the needs of the educational community. Respect for the environment is also at the core of the values that guide the committee to shape the educational sustainability curriculum. Likewise, the incorporation of sustainability in a local context has always been tried to be provided in each session, as it is a great opportunity for the student body and teachers to be aware of our host country. We believe that a comprehensive, structured and guiding curriculum about sustainability could be used from next term onwards and for many years in the future, to bring sustainability back to the heart of our UWC education. This sustainability curriculum is also a call for other United World Colleges to start incorporating sustainability education beyond the IB curriculum. Starting in September 2023, our committee officially began monthly sustainability curriculum sessions during mentor time. They are really fond of any inputs and collaborations, so don’t hesitate to reach out through email (sustainability@uwcdilijan.am) or Instagram (@sustco_uwcd).