Verita International School is committed to nurturing the well-being of Mother Earth. Through our extracurricular club, Verita Eco Team and together with the Student Council, we organise ecological protection projects involving both staff and students, prioritising sustainability efforts and actively engaging in environmental stewardship. This commitment extends to our curriculum, where we integrate the 17  UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)to provide comprehensive education on global challenges. By exploring and debating each specific goal within our study units, including IPC and IMYC, we aim to equip students with the skills needed to address these challenges responsibly, making sustainable development accessible to all.

The UN established 17 global goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2016 aiming for ‘peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.’ They are focused on the interconnected environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainable development, making sustainability a key priority.

Our educational system is rooted in the National Curriculum of England, brought to life through inquiry-based learning and social-emotional curriculum (SEE Learning). The IPC is a comprehensive thematic curriculum designed for primary school students aged 5 to 11, fostering engaging learning experiences across various subjects. Meanwhile, the IMYC is a dynamic curriculum framework tailored for students aged 11 to 14, during their middle school years, focusing on holistic development and interdisciplinary projects.

Verita is dedicated to incorporating the  UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)into its curriculum ensuring that students not only understand global challenges comprehensively but also develop the skills to address them responsibly. This becomes easily accessible to everyone because each specific goal is thoughtfully explored within our study units.

As a school that has integrated SEL into our curriculum we offer a unique perspective in the Romanian educational landscape, we are also incorporating the UN Inner Development Goals (IDGs). These represent the personal skills and attributes necessary for fulfilling lives, building successful careers, and contributing positively to a sustainable and thriving global community. We recently participated in a survey related to these goals. Feel free to take this survey yourself and align your aspirations with essential attributes such as integrity, authenticity, optimism, perseverance, self-awareness, empathy, compassion, inclusive mindset, and intercultural competence.

We invite you to discover how each goal is pairing with, at least, one study units where they are deeply explored:

No poverty and hunger but a good, healthy life

Goal no. 1 – No poverty  – IPC Moving People & IMYC Challenge – Poverty is perhaps the greatest social threat of the 21st century. That’s why the UN has identified its eradication as the primary goal to be addressed by 2030. In this regard, hundreds of NGOs worldwide are mobilising. Counted among the major threats, the phenomenon of global poverty was delved into within the IMYC Challenge unit. This is one of the reasons why people decide to change the country they live in, in search of a better place and this was one of the topics discussed in the IPC Moving People unit.

Goal no. 2 – Zero hunger – IPC Moving People & IMYC Challenge – A person dies of hunger in the world every four seconds. This grim reality must be changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened an already deteriorating food security situation. Closely correlated with the phenomenon of global poverty, this issue is discussed by students in classes as part of the IPC Moving People and IMYC Challenge units.

Goal no. 3 – Good health and well-being – IPC Brainwave: The Brain & How Humans Work & Being Human – At the high level of civilisation we have reached, bolstered by a very advanced level of scientific and technological discoveries the entire humanity should enjoy a good and healthy life. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different from what we hope for. This inequality must be addressed and brought to an end! Through the IPC Brainwave: The Brain & How Humans Work & Being units, our students explore the significance of a healthy lifestyle and adequate nutrition, gaining a deeper understanding of the human body. Thus, they understand that ‘good health and well-being’ are essential for every inhabitant of the planet.

No discrimination! Access to quality education and clean energy

Goal no. 4 – Quality education – IPC Brainwave: The Brain & Explorers and Adventurers – To deprive a child/adolescent of quality education means to sever his/her chance for a better future. Our students understood this very well through the IPC Brainwave: The Brain unit, where they explored the ways in which the brain can be used to learn lots of new and different things every day. Only through continuous openness to knowledge are gained the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to become successful adults. Discovering more about how to learn and how to improve the way of learning makes people better equipped for meeting the many challenges ahead in life. And again, only embarking on an educational journey – like in the IPC Explorers and Adventurers unit – as historians, geographers, artists and scientists nurtures a certain perspective that an isolated, uneducated and uninformed individual will never have. During this unit, our Year 4 students consolidated their SDG knowledge by applying it in their end of year project inspired by the book ‘Weslandia’ by Paul Fleischman to create their own world – an ideal world.

Goal no. 5 – Gender equality – IPC Living Together – If we dream of an inclusive and tolerant society with respectful and understanding peers, we have a chance to achieve this ideal by sowing these precious seeds through the education of our children. From a young age at home, within the family especially through personal example and then of course, at school. Our students through the IPC Living Together unit reflect on the reality of living in various communities, exploring ways to collaborate effectively with others. Respect for each other’s apaces is one of the primary values we are cultivating in class.

Goal no. 6 – Clean water and sanitation – IPC Super Humans – Alongside access to food, education, and tolerant treatment, decent living also entails access to hygiene. And there can be no talk of hygiene in the absence of a clean water source for washing, using the toilet, and, of course, drinking. All these sanitation conditions are extremely difficult to fulfil in areas of war, deep poverty, or regions affected by natural disasters. And in the absence of minimum hygiene conditions, health is put in imminent danger. These issues have been the subject of study for our students through the IPC Super Humans unit, where they learned about the importance of these sanitation aspects – conditions that are often overlooked in modern developed societies – the consequences of their absence, and how many percent of the world’s population live deprived of the most basic living conditions.

Goal no. 7 – Affordable and clean energy – IPC Bright Sparks! & It’s Shocking! – Electricity and Energy- When it comes to energy, clean energy almost follows without much thought. In an era where the number of electric vehicles is increasing by the day, where more and more people are installing solar panels, and, last but not least, where the price of fossil fuels has reached unprecedented and alarming levels, it is clear that the world has understood the need to make sustainable choices. This highly topical aspect is reflected through the IPC Bright Sparks! & It’s Shocking – Electricity and Energy unit.

Goal no. 8 – Decent work and economic growth – IPC Chocolate & Moving People – The issue of economic development is addressed in the IPC ‘Chocolate’ unit, with the delicious dessert being explored not just from the perspective of its taste, beloved at any age, but especially from the standpoint of its economic potential in manufacturing. Additionally, reference is made to decent employment opportunities in a growing economic context in the IPC ‘Moving People’ unit, through the lens of migrants who lack these facilities, prompting them to leave their homeland and seek better opportunities elsewhere.

A better future! Good opportunities for all!

Goal no. 9 – Industry, innovation, and infrastructure – IPC The Magic Toymaker, Earth as An Island, Fairgrounds. In today’s civilised society, discussing industry, innovation and infrastructure is commonplace. And so it should be for every region regardless of its remoteness or latitude. But unfortunately that’s not the case. That’s why to make the conversation more engaging, toys, these generators of childhood joy are the focus of the IPC unit ‘The Magic Toymaker’, presented from both economic and playful perspectives.

Goal no. 10 – Reduced inequalities – IPC Living Together, Moving People – When discussing tolerance, a comprehensive approach involves embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion. This entails accepting each community with its unique aspects, encompassing both its strengths and challenges within cultural, social, or religious contexts. By doing so, we can work towards reducing inequalities and unfair treatment based on arbitrary criteria. Our students have delved into concepts of collaboration, acceptance, respect, and understanding rights and responsibilities through IPC units ‘Living Together’ & ‘Moving People’.‘ And so, they grasped the importance of both independence and interdependence within communities.

Goal no. 11 – Sustainable cities and communities – IPC The Earth, Our Home – Paraphrasing the words of a great thinker, the third millennium must be sustainable or it will not exist. Our concern for sustainability has reached the point where sustainability equals vitality. Thus, under the absolute aura of sustainability, all living things – plants, animals and people – have a home or somewhere to live that we call a ‘ habitat’ and has to be Green. Whether vast like the ocean, or small like a leaf, this habitat must be Green and meet the needs of its inhabitants. What do living things need to survive? How do different habitats provide for their needs? Our passionate students are exploring all of this – as scientists – looking for answers through the Year 2 IPC unit ‘The Earth, Our Home’. Here children delve into reading texts, ‘We Are Water Protectors’ by Carole Lindstrom and ‘There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom’ by James Sellick. In the latter text for instance, the impact of deforestation and habitat destruction on wildlife is highlighted, specifically focusing on the plight of orangutans. Impressed by the fate of the poor animals children create a campaign poster to help save the orangutans.

Goal no. 12 – Responsible consumption and production – IMYC ‘Relationship’ – The constant drive to consume more and more – Consumerism – is extremely harmful to the environment. Exploiting natural resources, transporting them to factories, processing, and then distributing them, each stage contributes significantly to pollution. Together, they are responsible for the emergence of the greenhouse effect and the expansion of the carbon footprint, collectively contributing to climate change. These vulnerabilities are closely related to the IMYC ‘Relationship’ unit, exploring topics such as international trade, the influence of globalisation, and the destructive effect this trend has on local producers. (SEE Learning – Cultivating Kindness and Compassion: Strengthening Relationships and Resilience)

Goal no. 13 – Climate action – IMYC ‘Challenge’ – With each passing year, the world witnesses’ new records of soaring atmospheric temperatures, posing catastrophic threats to our planet’s delicate ecosystem. This presents a formidable challenge for all of us, whether we simply acknowledge it or prioritise it as a top concern. Our students are keenly aware of these dangers and are committed to preserving what remains salvageable! Through the IMYC unit named ‘Challenge’, they delve into these issues, recognising that our indifference to Earth’s plight will result in irreversible harm. From the detrimental impact on marine life to the devastating hurricanes and vegetation-destroying fires spurred by drought, the consequences of human apathy are alarming. In response, our ecology club, Verita Eco-Team, engages in projects brimming with compassion and dedication toward Mother Earth, bolstering our school’s commitment to sustainability for all students and staff.

Fight for Nature! Be engaged in compassionate projects!

Goal no. 14 – Life below water – IPC ’Land, Sea, and Sky’ And beyond the danger posed by rising water temperatures, aquatic life is threatened by plastic pollution. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and ingest them, while birds feed their chicks small pieces of plastic. Various marine animals become entangled in old fishing nets left at sea, and plastic waste affects coral reefs and the habitats of millions of species. Annually, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the waters of seas and oceans, and at this rate, it is estimated that by 2050, the oceans’ water will contain more plastic than fish.

Through the IPC unit Land, Sea, and Sky, our students have come to understand that human actions directly impact both marine life and the delicate balance existing in each habitat.

Goal no. 15 – Life on land – IPC ’Land, Sea, and Sky’ – Getting out from the depths from that wonderful universe which is said to harbour 80% of all life forms on Earth. It’s a wonderful world outside! Equally threatened by pollution or at risk of extinction. Due to trees being cut down, forests leave the atmosphere less oxygenated and dozens or hundreds of species without habitat. The Earth remains without shade, nutrients and protection, exposed to the wind and sun. Animals left homeless become easy prey, hunted intensively and pushed to the brink of extinction. With each species lost, the natural imbalance deepens even further, reflecting in climate change, chain disappearances or conversely, chaotic proliferation of other species.

Having learned about these issues through the IPC ‘Land, Sea, and Sky’ unit, Our students are even more open to protecting nature in its entirety. However, the entire global population must awaken and understand before it’s too late.

Goal no. 16 – Peace, justice, and b institutions – IPC – ‘Moving People’ – Even if it seems like a line taken from a science fiction novel at this moment on Earth, dozens and dozens of armed conflicts are unfolding. It’s Hard to believe and painfully true! Almost 26 million people – and half of them children – are refugees, leaving their homes to escape violence, persecution and injustice. Our students have learned about this troubling reality of refugees in the IPC unit ‘Moving People’, where war, home insecurity, and daily life are among the main reasons why people are forced to change their country of residence.

Goal no. 17 – Partnerships for the goals – IPC ‘Living Together’ – Together, we are stronger regardless of skin colour, religious beliefs, ethnicity, or belonging to any community! It may sound like a slogan, but it’s much more than that. In today’s interconnected world, it’s easier than ever for us to come together to support a cause we believe in. If each of us contributes a small piece to the greater good, the solution begins to take shape like a puzzle. In fact, diversity truly is an asset. Thus, in a very inclusive group with representatives from different cultures each person’s input brings a new perspective and this leads to astonishingly complex results.

As an international school accommodating students and teachers from all corners of the world, Verita is one of the best examples that diversity breeds remarkable results. We nurture in our children a spirit of freedom, openness, kindness and a desire to collaborate, engage, and help others. The IPC unit ‘Living together’ perfectly reflects both our daily reality and the 17th goal, a very engaging and powerful one.

Just as we simplify the complexity of the outer world into 17 Global Goals, we strive to cultivate a similar clarity within ourselves. Through fostering Inner Goals such as critical thinking, collaboration and a commitment to positive change, we equip students with the essential skills and mindsets needed to tackle global challenges effectively. As we embark on this journey of holistic development, we’re shaping individuals who are not only capable of creating a better world but are also deeply connected to their inner values and purpose.

Verita International School Bucharest is a fully accredited IBDP and COBIS International British school with over 1,000 students and 200 teachers located in both Romania and Greece. Following the National Curriculum of England & Wales, Verita enhances learning through progressive inquiry-based frameworks and a social-emotional curricula. The school’s extensive membership networks contribute to a global community of schools committed to providing quality education.