A Year of Highlights:
Revolutionizing Education for Sustainable Development ​​​​
Pre-Summit of the Future: Ages of Globalization Beta Launch
On September 20, 2024, the beta version of Ages of Globalization was unveiled at SDSN’s High-Level Pre-Summit of the Future. Under the theme “Solutions for the Future,” the event brought together over 200 sustainability leaders, activists, and researchers in person, with hundreds more joining online.
The course was celebrated as a major breakthrough for Education for Sustainable Development, advancing SDG 4 by promoting quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
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Launch Event Speakers (Find out more)
Opening Remarks by UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Education, Stefania Giannini
It’s never been more urgent to empower learners to become global citizens that actively care for people and the planet. Ages of Globalization demonstrates the potential of innovative educational approaches that go beyond the traditional teaching practices and that embrace more active and experiential learning. It leverages digital tools for learners to better understand and deal with complex issues, like global warming.
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Education
Launch Highlights
Worldwide Engagement: A Global Community of Learners
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From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, learners — students ages 14+, educators, and lifelong learners alike — from every corner of the world have joined the Ages of Globalization (AoG) adventure.​
13 000+ Participants
165 Countries
Participation & Age Distribution
Top 20 Countries by Representation
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Highlights & Impact ​​​​​
Over the past 12 months, learners from secondary schools, universities, and non-formal settings explored more than 100 video lectures with Professor Jeffrey Sachs, visiting UNESCO World Heritage and other globally significant sites through an immersive digital journey. They also connected live with world leaders, adding real-time dialogue to their learning.
Students described these experiences as eye-opening, helping them see how geography, technology, and institutions shape societies across time and influence the challenges their communities face today. Inspired, they applied this perspective to sustainability issues ranging from clean water access to cultural resilience, translating ideas into action through peer exchanges, collaborative projects, and community initiatives.
Educators reported that AoG resources fostered deeper systems thinking, richer intercultural understanding, and stronger classroom-to-community connections. They particularly valued the lesson plans, which provided structure and context to bring complex global themes into diverse classroom settings.
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Participating in this program was a life-changing
moment. It reminded me that no matter how daunting the challenges seem, we are never alone in this fight.
Viergina Jeanty, Student from Haiti
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Together with Professor Jeffrey Sachs and global experts, learners and educators journey through seven ages of globalization and explore eight big questions through engaging video lectures, practical lesson plans, and interactive live sessions.
Zoom In: Teacher Community of Practice
Alongside student learning, teachers play a central role in shaping and strengthening AoG. Through the AoG Global Educator Committee and wider Teacher Community of Practice, educators offer feedback on how resources work in their classrooms, exchange approaches, and share promising practices. Over the past year, more than 10 community sessions brought together educators from secondary schools, universities, NGOs, and teacher training institutes across regions. These gatherings became spaces for intercultural dialogue and joint exploration of how to embed Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in both curricular and extracurricular activities. Teachers note that this exchange not only strengthened their own practice but also expanded opportunities for students to connect learning with real-world impact.
Zoom In: Exploring the Power of Maps
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The course includes a dynamic mapping component where learners and educators use data to explore the intersections of social, economic, and environmental issues. In November 2024, SDGs Today and Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development hosted a virtual training with tutorials in GIS, discussions on the role of maps in tackling global challenges, and hands-on activities linking global history to sustainable solutions. Building on this, the 2024 Summer Eco Ambassadors Program guided students through a 10-week journey focused on the Ages of Globalization, where they developed GIS and data-storytelling skills, applied SDG frameworks, and created StoryMap projects addressing sustainability challenges in their own contexts.
Zoom-in: Virtual Travel — from Giza to Kibera
AoG brings global learning to life with immersive virtual explorations into diverse cultural and historical sites. In November 2024, AOG partner Globe From Home led a virtual scavenger hunt at the Pyramids of Giza. Hundreds of participants, including students, educators, and families, joined a captivating historical quest, helping a time‑traveling character named Khepri decode ancient secrets and discover life in a pivotal era when humanity shifted from hunting and gathering to agriculture. In June 2025, a second travel took learners and educators to Kibera, Kenya, one of Africa’s largest informal settlements. Participants explored the Sustainable Development Goals and how urban geography, community resilience, and climate change intersect in a complex and dynamic real-world context.
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UN at Your Doorstep Live Sessions
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UN at Your Doorstep is the monthly live component to the AoG, hosted by the Global Schools Program, which provides learners a rare chance to engage directly with global leaders, youth activists, and peers from around the world in real-time discussions. These dialogues offer insights and inspiration on addressing today’s pressing global challenges, helping learners understand how to contribute meaningfully to a sustainable future.​
7 Live Sessions ​​​​
7 Sets of Pedagogical Resources ​
11,500+ Participants
An incredible experience to co-create the space with young people from all over the world and meaningful interactions throughout the session.
Richa Gupta, Educator & Social Entrepreneur from India
Young People are Leading Dialogues on Global Challenges with UN Directors, World Leaders, and Youth Activists:​​
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For Every Dialogue, Young Reporters Take over AoG’s Social Media for a Week:​
Participating in the social media takeover for the UN at Your Doorstep session was truly rewarding. The live session effectively demonstrated how young people can actively shape discussions around the SDGs and foster a sense of community among participants. ​
​Alya Khairina
Green Growth Asia Foundation, Malaysia
Young Reporter for the Environment Alumna
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Educators Gain Tailor-made Resources to Enhance Learning and Action on Global Challenges Before and After Each Live Dialogue:
A Global Youth Challenge Invites Young People to Raise Awareness and Share Creative Solutions for Sustainable Development:
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The program provided an amazing platform to showcase my school's environmental initiatives on a global stage. It's inspiring to connect with people passionate about creating a positive environmental impact.​
The pedagogical resources were particularly useful in enhancing my understanding and application of key concepts. The structured templates, case studies, and practical examples helped me connect theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios.
Building Connections, Inspiring Change: What Participants Are Saying
of participants said they gained a better understanding of the SDGs
94%
of participants said it broadened their global awareness and deepened their critical, systemic thinking skills
60%
of participants felt empowered to take local actions for the SDGs
53%
of participants built meaningful relationships with peers across countries
48%
Outreach​
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Thanks to exceptional individuals and organizations, the Ages of Globalization has reached far and wide since September 2024.
International & Regional Events
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AoG was featured at more than 25 international and regional events, from the UN’s High-Level Political Forum to the UNESCO World Teachers’ Summit, the UNESCO OER Congress, Climate Education & Justice Week, UNESCO-UNEVOC’s World Youth Skills Day, and the ASF Youth Assembly, among others.
AoG Website & Social Media
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The AoG website welcomed 12,000+ unique visitors, the newsletter reached 7,500+ subscribers, and AoG social media engaged a growing global community of 3,500+ individuals.
I am delighted and honored that The Ages of Globalization has had such an enthusiastic uptake during its first year. In the hands of creative teachers and students, AoG has proven to be more than just a curriculum. The many wonderful users are engaging with AoG as a platform for reimagining education in the 21st century. By placing young people at the heart of the learning process, AoG is helping students to discover the roots of today’s global challenges, connect across cultures and histories, and take meaningful action in their communities and beyond. Together with young people, educators, and partners, we are aiming now to build a global learning community that connects history to action and that helps to redefine what education can achieve in the face of planetary challenges.
Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, President, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Columbia University Professor
Where We’re Headed & How to Partner
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Building on a year of strong momentum, Ages of Globalization is ready to grow — with the right partners by our side. The next phase will focus on expanding reach, improving learning experiences, advancing advocacy, and deepening impact for SDG 4.7 across formal and non-formal education. Together, we can:
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Launch a higher education program. We are creating a new Ages of Globalization track tailored for universities, anchored by a special 10-part live lecture series with Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs in Spring 2026. This series will offer deeper historical and systems-level analysis for undergraduate and graduate learners, sparking multidisciplinary dialogue on global challenges.
Co-develop new content and improve navigation. Expand video chapters and lesson plans while improving overall navigation and accessibility across subjects, SDGs and countries. We’d also like to advance research to better understand how learners foster systems thinking, intercultural understanding, and civic agency.
Localized & Thematic Expansion. AoG will continue to localize through national, institutional and community-based education programs while curating new thematic strands co-created with youth, educators, and experts that connect past lessons to future challenges — from climate justice to digital governance.
Educator and Youth Engagement. We aim to broaden support for educators through professional development, peer learning, and adaptable resources, while continuing to catalyze youth-led action through live dialogues, immersive experiences, and project-based learning. AoG will strengthen its advocacy role, amplifying learner and educator voices in global forums to influence how education systems integrate SDG 4.7.
Advance inclusion and innovation. With translation, adaptation, localization, offline formats, and accessibility features, we can make AoG more inclusive and impactful, especially for learners in underserved contexts.
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If you’re interested in co-creating, supporting, or scaling any of these efforts in 2025–26 and beyond, we’d love to hear from you.​
From AoG Beta to Alpha Launch​​
Following a year-long beta rollout, the Ages of Globalization Alpha Version will officially launch on 22 September 2025 during a hybrid event held on the margins of the 80th UN General Assembly and NYC Climate Week. Educators, students, policymakers, and global partners will come together to spotlight the critical role of education in advancing peace, sustainability, and global cooperation. Find out more and register your participation!
Thank You For a Dynamic First Year!
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Together, we are shaping a generation of thinkers, doers, and changemakers.
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We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all AoG partners and collaborators for their invaluable support.
Your dedication and collaboration have been instrumental in empowering young leaders, fostering global dialogue, and inspiring action for a sustainable future.​
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Thank you for an incredible first year!
Here’s to an exciting new chapter for Ages of Globalization!
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The AoG adventure is co-hosted by​​​​
