A Framework for teachers in education for sustainable development for upper elementary grades in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

Allison Wylde
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:44:57 PDT

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a holistic approach to education that seeks to create a better world for this generation and the next. The aim of ESD is for students to gain knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will shape the planet for a sustainable future. The United Nations has adopted 17 Global Goals as a "universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030” (United Nations Development Program, 2020, para. 1). Models for sustainability look very different depending on where one lives. The context of this work is Alaska, and more specifically the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The purpose of this project is to build a website resource to aid teachers in developing a mindset toward ESD and provide locally relevant resources and curriculum aligned with the United Nations Global Goals. This project is guided by the question of how Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Culturally responsive practices can be incorporated into curriculum development alongside district standards and ESD competencies. The methods of this project seek to engage students by incorporating real-world challenges and authentic experiences into core subject areas allowing students to connect classroom learning to real life, and thus creating engaged citizens. The aims are for students to become environmentally aware, while developing life-skills including leadership, communication, collaboration, and management. By developing a sense of place and equipping students with environmental knowledge and skills they can excel at living lives which further humanity while caring for and respecting our planet and it's resources.