Teaching the SDGs

A blueprint for future development…

“There is no more powerful transformative force than education—to promote human rights and dignity, to eradicate poverty and deepen sustainability, to build a better future for all, founded on equal rights and social justice, respect for cultural diversity, and international solidarity and shared responsibility, all of which are fundamental aspects of our common humanity."

– Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO

Mapping the UMN Course Catalog to the SDGs

In collaboration with the UMN Libraries, the UMN SDG Initiative has taken on the task of mapping UMN courses systemwide to the Sustainable Development Goals. To date, nine SDGs (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #13 and #17) have been mapped using a combination of search terms and data cleaning. The list showcases courses identified at all levels and on all University campuses across 43 subjects. Courses marked as involving SDG#17 - Partnerships for the Goals, tended to focus more broadly on sustainability and/or took a broad look at multiple goals through a number of lenses. By mapping the SDGs to our existing course catalog, we not only provide a valuable tool for students interested in learning more about the SDGs but also showcase the transdisciplinary teaching and leadership taking place across the University system. Members of the University community are invited to suggest additional courses for this list by filling out the request a course form.

Explore the SDG Course List

Student Group Activity Grant Program

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Initiative Student Group Activity Grant promotes and supports SDG-related activities conducted by student groups from the Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, and Twin Cities campuses. Grants of up to $500 are available to help fund a variety of activities and in the 2022-23 school year included supporting a "take as you need" food pantry for health professional students facing food insecurity, a sustainability forum focussed on maintaining ecological and socially-just work environments through the lens of Indigenous and underrepresented populations, among other student-led efforts.

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SDG/ICC Faculty Development Program

The UMN SDG Initiative is partnering with the GPS Alliance to incorporate SDGs as a framework into their existing Internationalizing the Curriculum and Campus (ICC Program). The existing ICC program focuses on providing all students with global learning experiences. The ICC team serves as a hub for the rich internationalization efforts of faculty, staff, and students across all five University of Minnesota campuses and is an excellent partner to help bring the SDG framework to faculty and, ultimately, into the classroom.

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