Challenging plastic pollution and championing global learning

Dr Andrew Christie (above right) writes for Think Global a year after being shortlisted for the 2017 Global Educator of the Year Award (GEYA)

A Key Stage Two teacher and Geography Coordinator at Whitehill Junior School, Hitchin, Andrew Christie also leads Whitehill’s Global Learning Programme (GLP) network of 14 partner schools. He has introduced a variety of projects linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, including a Dragons’ Den style competition, a Global Maths Project and monthly Young Explorer quizzes which engage students in global issues and the SDGs, focusing on critical thinking. Find out Andrew’s inspirational work in this film.

“I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I heard I’d been nominated for the GEYA 2017. I remember how proud I was to be shortlisted and how it inspired me to push on with my global learning efforts; particularly around raising awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, otherwise known as the Global Goals). The SDGs are a global call to action to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change. These have now been embedded within the curriculum of my school and it’s been very rewarding to see how much my colleagues have embraced the SDGs over the past couple of years. A lovely recent example being a colleague’s display board which shared how the school had risen to the challenge of tackling plastic pollution. The display has been well received with the National STEM Learning Centre picking it as a winner in their Primary Displays competition for the Spring Term (see link below for more details). 

https://www.stem.org.uk/community/groups/179777/plastic-pollution-how-we-took-action/426656

The very best of luck to this year’s GEYA entrants and I look forward to reading all about the amazing work of the finalists in the summer term!”  

We are now accepting nominations for Think Global’s Global Educator of the Year Award (GEYA) 2018. If you know of a teacher who is a change maker, educators who have gone above and beyond in raising awareness and deepening understanding of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encouraging young people to take action, nominate them today!

Blog by Dr Andrew Christie, GEYA 2017 nominee.