Entire Geopark
On 8 November, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Commission for UNESCO presented the National Award - Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Dr Andrea Ruyter-Petznek, Head of the Department of Education in Regions, Education for Sustainable Development at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and Prof. Dr Christoph Wulf, Vice President of the German Commission for UNESCO, honoured 29 stakeholders for their outstanding commitment. The event took place in the Wichernsaal in the state capital Schwerin in cooperation with Über.Morgen gGmbH.
The 29 award-winning initiatives reach people with innovative educational programmes, content and ideas and empower learners to play an active and responsible role in shaping a sustainable future.
Almost all German UNESCO Global Geoparks received the "National Award for Education for Sustainable Development" at the award ceremony. The UNESCO Global Geopark Thuringia Inselsberg - Drei Gleichen impressed the jury with its exemplary commitment to ESD and special dedication to the United Nations' Global Sustainability Goals. Dr Gerald Slotosch (Mayor of the Geopark member municipality Ruhla) and Nancy Schröter (Geopark Management Office) were delighted to accept the award for the Thuringian Geopark.
The Geopark offers a free multi-day ESD programme for schoolchildren, among others: The Forest and Water Week in Ruhla - "Water in Time". The focus here is on the interrelationship between forest and water. Through experiments with water, wood and forest soil, the children learn what everyone can do every day to use these valuable resources wisely. This is a successful joint project between the Geopark, the town of Ruhla, the town's geotourism employee Jonathan Harjes (who is also a cave guide at the Kittelsthal dripstone cave) and the Ruhla AWO youth club "Freetime".
More information on our website: ESD - Education for Sustainable Development.
Background
The "National Award - Education for Sustainable Development" recognises organisations, networks and municipalities that are committed to shaping our society in a liveable, sustainable way as part of the UNESCO ESD 2030 programme.
ESD 2030 stands for "Education for Sustainable Development: realising the global sustainability goals". Sustainable development means ensuring human dignity and equal opportunities for all in an intact environment. Education is central to sustainable development. It enables people to make decisions for the future and assess how their own actions will affect future generations or life in other regions of the world.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda sets out the implementation of education for sustainable development as a goal for the global community. The UNESCO ESD 2030 programme, which was launched in 2020, aims to promote the structural anchoring of ESD throughout the education system. In Germany, ESD is implemented on the basis of the National Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development.
Further information
Education for sustainable development
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Press contact
UNESCO Global Geopark Thuringia Inselsberg - Drei Gleichen
Management office: e.t.a. Sachverständigenbüro Reyer
Contact: Marion Oehme and Nancy Schröter
Haarbergstr. 37
99097 Erfurt
GERMANY
Tel: +049 361-4229000
E-Mail: info@thueringer-geopark.de
www.thueringer-geopark.de