Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Long-term sustainability targets require advancing interdisciplinary teaching and research which can incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) across curriculum and institutions. Our primary objective is to augment student learning through virtual exchange between faculty and students where a multitude of resources can be dynamically shared and individual student learning is incentivized to better meet local community needs. While focusing on underserved groups, the intention is to improve overall quality of teaching around the UN-SDGs and connect it through project-based learning to local innovation projects across participating sites and universities. Through this framework we trained over a 100 students to gain effective techniques on managing various challenges and opportunities of group work. We were able to successfully incorporate investigative group research modules that engage students to research and identify innovative environmental solutions in a semester-long project rooted in practicing humanitarian mission. Student teams were virtually involved in semester-long research projects that involved group work and student engagement in coupled human-environment systems as it pertains to global health. The insights in the challenges of integrating UN-SDGs to current curricula and STEM research with underserved communities is particularly emphasized. We demonstrate that this framework can create outcomes which support local well-being by providing adequate access to student project outcomes surrounding Food-Water-Energy (FEW) nexus and One health innovations. This can create informed discourse leading to innovations for the planetary and human well-being collectively.