The Bootcamp on Pedagogical Design and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) officially kicked off on Thursday, March 24, 2022 with a bilingual socialization session between volunteer mentors and more than 267 participants from 20 countries around the world. 89 working teams will be activated from this moment on, both for the English and Spanish Bootcamp.

The purpose of the program, aimed at teachers from higher education institutions, is to support the development of curricular designs that contribute to incorporate Education for Sustainable Development towards transformative pedagogies models. Participating teams will be trained within the IESALC Campus where the training course will be developed by members of the Bootcamp Committee and will be supported by volunteer mentors specialized in sustainability and pedagogy.

For Francesc Pedró, director of UNESCO IESALC, this is a unique opportunity to move from the discursive stage of sustainability in higher education to a stage of transformation and real change. It is part of a shared ambition with the partners of this initiative. The ambition that an intense experience of participatory and collaborative work will culminate in a profound change in the fields of work and practices, so that the model becomes a lasting and sustainable practice in the future, in an authentic transformative pedagogy.

María Toro Troconis, founder and director of the Bootcamp on Pedagogical Design and ESD , explained the history of this project that started in the UK in 2019 in support of universities in the work of hybrid education for curriculum design. With the pandemic, the project incorporated other universities globally, and that is how the idea of including education for sustainable development in curriculum design came about, specifically through a project presented by the American University of Sharjah as part of the work done for the Bootcamp. Hence, the bootcamp logo went from the original black color to a multicolored rainbow, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alexander Leicht, Chief of the Section of Education for Sustainable Development at UNESCO, brought into the conversation UNESCO’s vision of the role of education for sustainable development in changing people’s mindsets. He also highlighted the importance of training leaders to address today’s major challenges for sustainable development for change, from higher education and into the community: “Higher education institutions must become the engines of innovation,” Leicht said.

Yuma Inzolia, Head of Training and Capacity Building at IESALC, highlighted the fundamental role that teachers and citizens are called to play as part of a change experience such as this. “We must assume a leading role in the current situation of environmental crisis in which we are immersed and for this, education is the main lever for change. We are united in this event by a common goal: to ensure a fairer and more inclusive society.”

Also welcomed the beginning Tatiana Molina, from CES University and coordinator of the mentors for the Spanish version, as well as the team from the American University of Sharjah (Malaysia): Norita Ahmad, Mohamed Ibahrine and Rose Armour, who are leading the English edition of the Bootcamp. Also participating with a friendly greeting were Alison Greig and Victoria Tait from Anglia Ruskin University; from the University of Glasgow, Vicki Dale and Nathalie Tasler, all professionals with experience in education for sustainable development and expert speakers at the course.