As part of the first field visit of the 2026 edition of the project“Transforming Futures: Strengthening Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Practice for 2030 through Action Research”, representatives from Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and UNESCO’s Regional Education Sector Office in Costa Rica visited educational institutions in San Ramón, Alajuela, and Guanacaste on July 30 and 31.
The initiative builds on the work previously carried out in Costa Rica under UNESCO’s global project and reflects the joint commitment of UNESCO and the MEP to consolidate and expand the experience implemented in schools belonging to the UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet). Following the positive results achieved during the previous phase, the 2026 cycle includes follow-up activities with participating schools as well as the incorporation of new educational institutions into the project.
During this first field visit, the project team visited Jorge Washington School in San Ramón, Alajuela, and Bernardo Gutiérrez School in Guanacaste. The visit included training and technical support activities designed to strengthen the implementation of sustainability-focused educational projects through the action research methodology.
The project aims to promote the use of UNESCO’s three action research tools: teacher competencies, whole-school approach, and learning assessment. These tools are intended to enhance Education for Sustainable Development by encouraging schools to identify local challenges, develop solutions, and foster learning through research-based projects.
The initiative will continue with a second round of school visits in October. At the end of the year, the five participating school projects will take part in a joint session to present their results, share progress on their research activities, and showcase their use of UNESCO’s tools. The lessons learned will be disseminated throughout the ASPnet network and made available to other educational institutions across the country.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/mep-unesco-project-launches-new-phase-strengthen-education-sustainable-development-schools?hub=701
