A contribution to the 14th Biennial Conference on University of Education in Natural Resources, hosted in March 2022 by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's School of Natural Resources and College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Brianne A. Wolf, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Content is the property of the authors under the Creative Commons agreement.
Developing Global Perspectives on Climate, Food, & the Environment using the SDGs
Creating opportunities for students to engage with diverse perspectives around world challenges is critical to the development of innovative and openminded solution-makers. While coursework is fundamental to this development, creative co-curricular activities can supplement to provide students from an array of disciplines the chance to engage with these perspectives (from experts and peers) using the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a framework. Virtual and flexible participation options allow for wider access by more students, while the digital credential earned demonstrates valuable, future-ready competencies to employers. By learning from existing open-source online material, live sessions with global and local experts, brainstorming exchanges with peers, plus reflection and application into a final creative product, students can meaningfully explore how to contribute towards the most complex problems of our time. The program encourages expansive thinking and nuanced approaches to “wicked challenges,” while facilitating professional development and network-building for both domestic and international students.