Youth and the future of our planet depend on collaboration across the globe. Frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) have been useful for organizations like EcoSpark and our partners, because they set out focus areas and emphasize the interdependent problem solving we need to truly make progress.

What are Sustainable Development Goals?

"The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests." https://sdgs.un.org/goals

How Does Ecospark support Sustainable Development Goals?

In our urban environments, we cannot pursue clean water, clean air, and healthy ecosystems without accounting for inequality and good health and well-being in communities, for example. In practice, the SDG's can be part of how our student participants understand complete communities, or how we can share species data to support green space protection. Everyone deserves to access thriving biodiversity, and we can all be part of the systems and solutions for positive change.

EcoSpark draws the connections between our teacher- and student-led activities in school grounds and the hands-on work of volunteers in GTA communities with their broader implications, for environmental and community well-being and the health of the planet.

Which sustainable Development Goals Does Ecospark support?

EcoSpark supports Good Health and Well-being through outdoor activities which have been shown to have positive mental health benefits, potential improvements to emotional well-being in youth[1], and reducing stress[2].

EcoSpark supports Quality Education through its engagement with youth in educational programs. Providing them with knowledge about the greenspaces that surround them while also engaging in scientific contributions through citizen science projects.

EcoSpark supports Sustainable Cities and Communities by providing education of our natural environments and citizen science research projects. Through our programming we encourage youth to raise their voices about environmental concerns that impact their local greenspaces, and get engaged in city planning for sustainable development.

Both School Watch and Changing Currents programs offer students knowledge about impacts of climate change on their local ecosystems as well as engage them in valuable data collection through citizen science to support climate resilient school grounds and greenspaces.

EcoSpark’s School Watch programming focuses on exploring terrestrial ecosystems. For example, in our Tree Benefits workshop participants investigate local trees, identify them, and report data to citizen science platforms. Our Biodiversity workshop tracks local flora and fauna. These contributions are essential for understanding and exploring Life on Land and getting people engaged in appreciating and protecting their local biodiversity.

Ecospark’s educational programming supports partnerships with communities and organizations promoting environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

In fostering a future where youth actively contribute to a sustainable and equitable world, EcoSpark remains dedicated to bridging the gap between people and their local natural environments. Through education, citizen science, and community engagement, EcoSpark exemplifies the interconnectedness needed to address global challenges and shape a more resilient planet for generations to come.