International Day of Education

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) provides meaningful entry points for youth engagement by connecting learning with real-world challenges . Across different contexts, young people are engaging with issues such as climate change, environmental resilience and health through peer learning, community activities and locally relevant projects. These initiatives support youth to apply knowledge in practice , reflect on their role in society and contribute to collective responses within their communities. See related good practices on the SDG 4 Knowledge Hub : Youth-led climate education to strengthen environmental resilience in coastal Bangladesh Engaging youth through digital learning on climate and health education in Uganda Leadership for sustainable futures: Engaging secondary school students through education for sustainable development  

Meaningful youth engagement includes opportunities to participate in dialogue and decision-making processes that shape education priorities . Structured platforms and learning spaces are enabling young people to contribute to education discussions, consultations and policy review processes. By supporting participation and exchange, these initiatives help ensure that youth perspectives are heard and considered, reinforcing inclusion, transparency and shared responsibility in SDG 4 implementation. See a related good practice on the SDG 4 Knowledge Hub: Youth-inclusive education policy review and learning platform advancing SDG 4 in Africa .  

Community-based learning approaches play an important role in supporting the agency of indigenous youth. By grounding education in local knowledge, culture and community priorities, these initiatives create learning environments where indigenous youth can strengthen identity, develop skills and engage meaningfully with education. Such approaches also support intergenerational learning and locally relevant pathways, contributing to equity and inclusion. See related good practices on the SDG 4 Knowledge Hub: Empowering Indigenous youth through a community-based learning hub in Canaima Empowering Indigenous youth through culture, skills and sustainability  

  Meaningful youth engagement is a shared responsibility that depends on supportive adults and institutions. Professional development initiatives for teachers and educators are helping schools create learning environments that value youth participation, encourage dialogue and support leadership. By strengthening teachers and educators’ capacities to facilitate participatory learning and Education for Sustainable Development, these initiatives help embed youth engagement in everyday educational practice. See a related good practice and resource on the SDG 4 Knowledge Hub: Empowering educators for sustainable futures: A global schools programme Meaningful youth engagement handbook: empowering schools to foster active participation and leadership Taken together, these good practices illustrate how meaningful youth engagement can be fostered in diverse education settings, while recognizing that approaches must remain context-specific and responsive to local realities. They contribute ...

  This year, the world celebrated the International Day of Education under the theme “ Youth as co-creators of education ”. The day shed light on young people’s contributions to ensuring the right to education , even in the most challenging contexts. Indeed, young people are not only learners, but active participants in shaping education and society, whose voices, perspectives and experiences are essential. The UNESCO’s Meaningful youth engagement handbook: empowering schools to foster active participation and leadership , co-developed by youth from the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network and teachers from ASPnet underscores that meaningful youth engagement goes beyond participation in activities. It requires intentional spaces for youth voice, shared decision-making, and supportive environments in which young people can contribute to learning, dialogue and action in ways that are authentic and valued. To support knowledge sharing and cross-country learning, the SDG 4 Knowledge Hu...

In an educational context that is constantly changing, one of the main challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean is designing policies that not only respond to current demands but also anticipate future challenges. Against this backdrop, the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is working with governments to strengthen the role of the middle tier , which plays a key function in linking policy with practice. The gap between the design and implementation of education policies often highlights the complexity of systems, which require coordination, knowledge of the territory, and management skills at different levels. Within this systemic framework, there is a key structure for ensuring that plans and projects reach schools and meet their objectives: the middle tier. These are a set of roles and functions that articulate national or sub-national decisions with local realities. Their work allows the definitions of the ...