Project’s description and objective: the project is mainly about introducing the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development objectives to elementary and middle school classes.  

The project conforms to the state’s school curriculum on developing competences in the areas of ethics, communications, social relations and entrepreneurship. ENUT’s minifestivals focus on developing a tolerant and diverse worldview already at an early age when both ethical and stereotypical relations are formed. 

ENUT’s minifestivals are part of the activity to learn about the world. The students learn to notice and to challenge injustice, intolerance, disinformation and negative stereotypes. Learning about the world, also, encourages activism by citing individual steps that every student can her/himself take in order to help the world become more egalitarian. Hence learning about the world contributes to empowerment and entrepreneurship.  

The project consists of three stages that are carried out by ENUT’s volunteers working together with the teacher. In the first stage, world problems are introduced to the children by initially determining via interactivity what the children themselves see as problems. Then, the UN is introduced to the students and the identified world problems are connected to the UN’s sustainable development objectives. 

The first stage develops competences in critical thinking, creating connections, and in judgment formation.

The second stage takes place by working together in groups with the teacher.  In groups, the students study their chosen problem more closely and its exact causes.  Also, they consider what could solve the problem on an individual (by them, their family), state or world level. 

Competences: teamwork, including negotiating. Critical thinking. Digital skills, thanks to information searching, graphing and/or drafting presentations.  Creative self-expression. Forming results based on factual information. Developing entrepreneurship from the process of finding local solutions.

On the third level, a minifestival gives an opportunity for the students to introduce their group’s work to their classmates and other classes in the school. ENUT invites a well-known person to the minifestival who can give the students encouraging feedback. 

Competences: performing in public. Receiving feedback. Debating skills. 

ENUT’s minifestivals project is based on the project in Aberdeen, Great Britain, that was very successful and inclusive for the students. 

Duration:: 2017-2018

Project leader: Els Heile

Project is funded by: Estonian Roundtable for Development Cooperation (AKÜ)