UN SDG #4:  Quality Education

Episode 4: UN SDG #4: Quality education

Intro: Welcome back! This episode we will be talking about the 4th Sustainable Development Goal: “To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all". Make sure you stick around until the very end of this episode if you want to be lucky enough to take part in a very special, first of its kind happening on the show. You won’t want to miss it. But…back to education...for now. This one is really near and dear to my heart since most of my adult life has been working within the public education field and I truly believe that a solid education base can change your life. So let’s talk about the things that you can do to help create an equitable & quality education for all. 

Your Mint Green challenge this week was supposed to be to sign up for an Amazon Smile Charity account BUT they are officially shutting down that program effective the day this comes out. UGH! So, new plan, think of a little one in your life, a teacher in your community or a giving tree of sorts you could give to in the future and find an educational gift for them. I’m linking to pages that have a good variety of them in the show notes. Some of my favorites that I’ve used with 1st graders on up (plus my 4 year old, though she doesn’t quite use it correctly) are some educational robots like a Sphero (I love Sphero Robots!). They used to just have one model, which was great but now they have 4 different types from spheres to cars and more that always leave the kids wanting to come back to it for more (and often the cats too if you have any of those) Another great option in the robot field is the Dash Robot, it claims 8 and up, but I would probably say as young as 6 could handle it and they do such a great job with their user interface that it is easy to pick up and learn as you go. You can’t go wrong with any of these products for a kid’s learning…and maybe buy a second one for your fun too 😀 

Your Shamrock Green challenge this week: Volunteer as a tutor or mentor for students who may be struggling. This may seem like a big lift for a shamrock green challenge, but think about what giving 1-2 hours of your week could mean to someone who doesn’t understand their learning material, doesn’t see a future for themselves or doesn’t have a role model to look up to. Your hour or two could mean the world to them. Volunteering tutoring is part of what led me to be a teacher in the first place, but you don't have to put your whole life into it, a few hours a month can make a huge difference, especially when you're promoting literacy and providing educational resources in underprivileged communities.

Your Forest Green challenge this week: Support and encourage girls' education, as they are often disproportionately affected by lack of access to education. Donate to an education focused charity project on GlobalGiving.org. Think of it like KickStarter but for those who need it. I’m linking to ones that focus on Education, will make a big impact without much financial lift from you and many support girls or women in these countries which will be the topic of next week's episode. So skip a meal or two out this week and put that money to girls, women and education projects that will help save the planet instead. 

That’s it for this week. Until next time, be green and be seen.

Oh wait, did I say there would be something special at the end? You’re right I did…And for those of you that stuck around, here is your bonus: You could win a gift card to GlobalGiving.org by using the secret word giving during this episode in a post on Twitter,  Instagram or Facebook saying what you’ve done to go more green in your life. Make sure to use the #1000WaysGreen hashtag to be entered. Every friend you tag in the post will get you another entry into the drawing. The drawing will happen live on the show on March 6th. You have until March 1st to enter.