JICA Yokohama; To feel SDGs closely - Utilize as prior learning before "home delivery course" -

Utilize the material in "home delivery course" at Kanagawa Junior High School in Yokohama

JICA Yokohama performs "JICA international cooperation home delivery course" for many people to learn current situation in developing countries and international cooperation, which introduces a person as a lecturer, who had actually engaged in international cooperation as one of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) or senior volunteers in developing countries in the past. In home delivery course, we deliver vivid and various experiences that they had got in the field.

This time, I received a request of home delivery course from Kanagawa Junior High School in Yokohama. They have planned the class program of education for international understanding "About SDGs" for all 600 students from first grade to third grade and requested me to talk about SDGs Goal 4 "Education", because I had worked in Kenya as JOCV and had worked in Mongolia as JICA education expert, too.

As prior learning of this course titled "SDGs4: to bring a better education for all" (held on November 24, 2020), I asked to watch JICA-Net multimedia-based learning materials "JICA's Actions Toward Achieving the SDGs".

To feel SDGs more closely

Which do you choose the sustainable future or the unchanged future? (Chapter 1: "What is SDGs?")

JICA-Net Library was familiar for me since I have been working as JICA training program officer for a long time. Especially, I used materials of education themes very often. It was very useful for sharing basic information of Japanese education when we conduct JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Programs and trainings at technical cooperation project. That is why I searched a suitable material on JICA-Net Library when I was asked for some advice about SDGs material from Kanagawa Junior High School.

JICA-Net multimedia-based learning materials "JICA's Actions Toward Achieving the SDGs" (external link) introduces what SDGs is, and JICA's policy and concrete actions for SDGs are, which is divided 4 chapters. Especially, the first chapter uses an animation and it is friendly to people who get to know SDGs for the first time as introduction. Each video included in the material is short-length, so we are able to use them for various cases.

Since I have been told from school that students would study SDGs in the first time and students were from first year to third year, I recommended this material that explained the whole of SDGs simply with plain terms. There are a few difficult parts for junior high school students in the latter half of the material. However, I hoped to show students actual activities, for example, the effort of installing toilets by the corporate level initiative and improving environment by personal level activity (e.g., JOCV). So I thought the material was suitable because of including many such pictures and videos.

The material is effective as a prior learning

The live streaming of "home delivery course" from broadcasting room

By using the material as a prior learning, JICA's actions for SDGs were widely known to students before digging the theme of SDGs4 "Education" deeply in the lecture. The material also raised the question "What can we do for achievement of SDGs?" repeatedly, and it gave students room for thinking SDGs by themselves before the actual lecture. As a result, I thought it succeeded to bring a deep understanding for students very well.

On that day, I delivered the lecture from broadcasting room to all the class at once. I felt a little uneasy whether my message was received by students during the lecture because I was not able to look students' eyes directly.

Usually, I talk students with the message that I hope them to become a person who thinks "What can we do for the world?" by themselves. However, for junior high school students, it is not easy to look for an answer against what we can do about "education issues". Ordinary, as a result, even though students understand the environmental difference between own country and developing countries, however, regarding "what we can do", they are incline to reach a conclusion on donating money, which may lead that they will not do any action but pay money to ask somebody to deal with it. This time, not in the situation of discussing with students directly, I was very afraid that I could draw various ideas from students.

Students' impression, which they wrote eagerly.

My anxious turned into relief, when I read descriptions of their impression after the lecture. I was very impressed that there was a student who wrote "We are not able to build school, but we are able to make an effort against food waste and environmental problems".

It is difficult to image SDGs with "education" theme only, however this student wrote her own initiative for SDGs in immediate surroundings such as reducing the amount of plastics or notebooks to be use wastefully. I thought the material gave students a wide view of SDGs and became a clue to think in many ways what they can do.

It is expectable that students will study with various ideas and deep thinking by watching the material before a learning, such as the Period of Integrated Study, investigative learning, education for international understanding, and a survey for world or SDGs by themselves. I really hope school teachers to utilize this material.

Fukuo Tomohiro
JICA Yokohama

*The Material(s) mainly applied

JICA's Actions Toward Achieving the SDGs"

many actors already started their actions both within and outside Japan, JICA has been active in various areas through innovative approaches. This DVD contains JICA's actions and concrete practices toward achieving the SDGs, such as supporting formulating national SDGs plan in developing countires, partnership with private sector, volunteer activities in overseas and so on. The DVD also contains an animated cartoons that illustrate what is sustainable development. It will be welcome that JICA and people who are engaged in development assistance deepned their knowledge related to the SDGs. Furthermore, this material can be used for JICA's PR activivites in varitey of seminars, meetings and school teachings when the theme are related to the SDGs.

• YouTube (external link)