Tools Developed for Education for Sustainable Development

• Design for Change
• Wisdom Box

Design For Change

Design for Change (DFC) is a project based learning tool and global movement which gives children the chance to express their own ideas for a better world and put them into action. Through DFC, children discover the ‘I CAN’ message, rather than asking adults ‘Can I?’.

Design for Change is a tool which can provide a framework for teachers and students to engage in the skills of group work, creativity, problem solving, analytical and critical thinking simultaneously, creating Lao youth who are capable of being global citizens and moving Lao forward on a path to sustainable development.

DFC uses a four step process:

1. Feel (What bothers you?)
2. Imagine (What solutions are there?)
3. Do (take action for change) and
4. Share (reflect and share your change with others).

This educates children’s’ head, heart and hands.

In 2011, an Australian volunteer introduced DFC to PADETC. The tool supports many of the Education for Sustainable Development values that PADETC promote, so they became the sponsor of DFC Laos in 2012 and use it as a tool for ESD.

Achievements in 2012 included:

• 8 Participating schools – Sompanya School, Sunshine School, Donkoi CDC, Vientiane College, Panyathip International School, Australian International School, Veuntaeun Village Youth Centre, Chomphet Secondary School (Xieng Kuang)
• An ESD project completed with the University of the Sacred Heart Tokyo and the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES), MoE Laos. DFC was used as a tool to promote ESD and featured in the booklet and DVD series
• 7 videos produced for sharing
• Topic areas of stories of change: Dirty bathrooms, Garbage  in Schools, Bullying, Lack of School Resources, No Smoking, Say no to drugs, Improve our school grounds
• Approximately 70 teachers trained as facilitators
• Over 200 students involved
• DFC Toolkit / Curriculum translated to Lao language
• DFC ‘I can’ song translated and recorded by Aluna (Lao pop star)

• Design for Change Laos Website:  dfclaos.tumblr.com
• Videos: Design for Change Laos on You Tube

Wisdom Box

The development tool called “Wisdom Box” was adapted by PADETC from Atkisson’s Compass for Sustainability Tool.

This tool helps youth volunteers to learn about the 4 pillars of sustainable development (Nature, Economy, Society, Wellbeing) and their values. At the same time allows young people to assist communities in identifying their most pressing development issues to work on.

The Wisdom Box was also used during the National Consultation Process in all 17 provinces of Lao PDR that was conducted prior to the Asia Europe People’s Forum. More than 800 Lao people participated in this process.

Video about Widom Box