Introducing the global goals through reading encouragement

By Khushboo Dubey, Mumbai

I am a traveler and an avid reader both my passions led me to where I am a passionate educator.

I am currently associated with a school as Resource person for Educational initiatives and Global Partnerships. I also take care of Language development through reading.

I am a SDG enthusiast, and it inspired me to take this as a challenge and currently I work to promote SDG’s through reading for my students, teachers and support staff.
 
Objective:
To show how schools can adopt reading for spreading awareness about SDG’s.
 
Why it’s important:
United Nations has chartered the Sustainable Development Goals, officially known as “Transforming our world: 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development. It is a set of 17 Global Goals to be talked about and achieved."

For me these goals are important to have a better world for the future generations to live peacefully. Peace is an important word, maintaining peace, when you don’t have adequate resources to live or when you suffer inequality or when the environment around is falling apart is not only difficult, it’s impossible. Hence, I want my students to create a world in which they have peace with themselves and within the world.

Reading about SDGs shows them that this is a dream of millions of SDG ambassadors across the world who are working diligently on the global goals. I am trying to do my bit for the same. Reading should free the mind, taking a person from known to unknown; hence I connect reading with SDG.

I have 1,500 students in my school and teaching all of them is quite a task. So, I have decided to take it one step at a time. I am now introducing them to the global goals through stories, newspapers, and magazines; there is no better way to gain knowledge than reading a book.

Students will grow up to be our leaders in the future and should be aware of cultural diversity, differences, and interconnections of the world. Introduction to SDGs has nurtured in them an appreciation for people and culture. It expanded the horizons of their minds and enabled them to look at problems and brainstorm solutions from a broader, more global perspective. 

This is how I do it:

1. I introduced the Goals in the library class and asked them to decide which goal they can most relate to or a goal on which they want to work.
2. They were given daily newspapers to read and separate the news related to SDGs.
3. Books are given to read in class or take home. Choices include:

• I am Malala
• Diary of a Young Girl
• Reducing Inequalities: A Sustainable Development Challenge (A Planet for Life) 
• Dead as a Dodo
• Wild in the Backyard
• Dust on the Mountain
• Simply Nanju
• Your Turn Now
• Nargisa's Adventures
• The Cherry Tree

And, Comics by Global Goals resources ( My students love this and respond better).

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4. We have discussions about the books and the related goals.
5. Poster creation about the goals to spread awareness.
6. I also make everyone read every book so my students read fairy tales and STEM books together.
 
I use social media like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn articles to start a discussion or make them aware about what other students are doing around the world. This has helped them to be thankful for what they have and work towards providing others who deserve.
 
My school it is a 50 year old school, but a large number of the student population is first generation learners. Over the years, we have built a Library that has Smart Board, projector, and wireless routers for internet.

​Khushboo is an educator in Mumbai, India, and she has a Master’s degree in human resource and a Bachelor's degree in microbiology. She also holds many certificates in storytelling, global education, and sustainable development initiatives. She works as Resource person for Educational Initiatives and Global Partnership in public and private schools. Khushboo is the coordinator for International School Award for she school, and they have received ISA for the year 2015-2018. She also works with street children for storytelling, basic math, and language, and she is loves travel, photography, and reading. Connect with Khushboo on Twitter at @Kdantre. 
 

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