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2020 SDGs Challenge Winning Team from El Salvador Fosters Innovative Classrooms across Latin America
From:
Carnegie Ventures Carnegie Ventures
Washington, DC
Thursday, December 31, 2020


Innovative Professional Development for Latin American Teachers to Aid Regional Youth
 

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 1, 2021 — Two women from El Salvador have set out to create innovative learning methods and teacher networks in low-income public schools in their home country on a mission to revolutionize professional development K-12 teacher training.

After winning the SDG Challenge, Georgina Iraheta and Carmen Matamoros, have worked tirelessly to build a free 12-week virtual course designed to improve teaching methods in the classroom for middle to high school learning. They coupled this with a network of experienced teachers from all over the world volunteering to assist low-income schools and teachers in El Salvador implement some of the ideas they learned from the course.

Nikmati's founders each grew up in El Salvador and have always known the struggles schools and teachers face in the country due to the lack of funding and low priority. "They've since made it their priority to remedy the issue by creating a solution to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Quality Education and decided to enter the SDG Challenge. Our jury panel was impressed with their plan as well as their team..", according to Lisa La Bonte, Secretary General of the United Nations Association UAE, a key supporter of the Challenge.

"We want to provide development for teachers in this area, because we know they receive less resources than most, and we believe giving teachers more training will create greater impact and ultimately student success", Iraheta claims.

Their course focuses on critical thinking, creativity, innovative classrooms, and problem solving across multiple subjects.

"We want to switch the narrative of teaching from lecture style to a more hands on approach where students can learn real world skills, that are more practical and useful for their futures," Iraheta said.

The Challenge was able to provide a creative outlet to showcase their idea and gain attention from people in their respective field and they are looking forward to implementing their solutions in 2021.

Learn more about the 2021 SDGs Challenge that starts in April at www.SDGsChallenge.org

About the Global Citizens Innovative Solutions SDGs Challenge “SDGs Challenge”

Part ideation exercise, part solutions hackathon, part start-up competition the Challenge created by AYVF seeks to engage citizens of any nationality, ethnicity, age, or gender and encourages diverse teams to commit, or “resolve to solve” any one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) representing the world's most vexing issues.

Teams of up to six (families, students, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or strangers meeting virtually) are encouraged to brainstorm, devise and present their innovative solutions by video  during a time frame of their choosing within a 100 day rolling period that starts on Earth Day and ends July 31, annually for 10 years until 2030. Winners gain membership in the world’s first SDG Percolator, a pre-incubator program that provides access and polish to winning plans for community implementation or readies them for incubators and commercial success.

Founded in Dubai in 2019, the SDG Challenge has grown globally to engage, connect and educate ‘citizens of the world’ about SDGs and supporting economic development on a local level with goal of 5,000 tangible solutions implemented by 2030. www.SDGsChallenge.org

About the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

SDG #1: No poverty; SDG #2: Zero hunger; SDG #3: Health and well-being; SDG #4: Quality Education; SDG #5: Gender equality; SDG #6: Clean water and sanitation; SDG #7: Affordable and clean energy; SDG #8: Decent work and economic growth; SDG #9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure; SDG #10: Reduced inequalities; SDG #11: Sustainable cities and communities; SDG #12: Responsible production and consumption; SDG #13: Climate action; SDG #14: Life below water; SDG #15: Life on land; SDG #16: Peace, justice and strong institutions; SDG #17: Partnership for the Goals www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org
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News Media Interview Contact
Name: Andrew Abell
Group: Global Citizens SDGs Challenge (AYVF)
Dateline: Annapolis, MD United States
Direct Phone: 571-888-5588
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