“Ages of Globalization” Launches During UNGA & NYC Climate Week, Advancing Education for Peace & Planet
NEW YORK (September 22, 2025) — Following a year-long beta roll-out, the Ages of Globalization (AoG) initiative officially launched its Alpha Version at “Education for Peace & Planet: From Histories to Futures,” a full-day event held in conjunction with the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and NYC Climate Week.
Developed by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, Mission 4.7, SDGsToday, and the Global Schools Program, AoG is a free, interdisciplinary program that helps learners connect the historical roots of today’s global challenges to practical solutions for more just, peaceful, and sustainable futures.
One Year of Global Reach and Impact
Since the beta launch in September 2024, AoG has engaged 13,000+ learners and educators from 165+ countries, with participants ranging from secondary classrooms to university and non-formal learning settings. Educators participating in the beta roll-out report that the AoG program helps young people understand complex sustainability challenges and their interlinkages, foster intercultural understanding, and translate ideas into action through community-focused projects and dialogue. See more highlights from year one here.
“Participating in this program was not just educational, it was life-changing.”
“Ages of Globalization is superbly designed…it gives students a framework for understanding how and why humanity has evolved to this point.”
A Journey Through History to Shape the Future
As inequalities widen, conflicts escalate, and planetary boundaries are breached, education systems must equip young people to understand complexity, collaborate across differences, and lead with ethics.
Inspired by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs’ influential book, AoG invites learners from secondary and higher education to examine how geography, technology, and institutions have shaped the human journey across seven interconnected “ages,” culminating in today’s digital age. The program blends video-based lectures, learner-centered lesson plans, virtual visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, interactive maps, and UN at Your Doorstep — a live dialogue series that connects classrooms with global leaders.
“It’s never been more urgent to empower learners to become global citizens that actively care for people and the planet. Ages of Globalization demonstrates the potential of innovative educational approaches that go beyond the traditional teaching practices and that embrace more active and experiential learning. It leverages digital tools for learners to better understand and deal with complex issues, like global warming.”
“I am delighted and honored that The Ages of Globalization has had such an enthusiastic uptake during its first year. In the hands of creative teachers and students, AoG has proven to be more than just a curriculum. The many wonderful users are engaging with AoG as a platform for reimagining education in the 21st century. By placing young people at the heart of the learning process, AoG is helping students to discover the roots of today’s global challenges, connect across cultures and histories, and take meaningful action in their communities and beyond. Together with young people, educators, and partners, we are aiming now to build a global learning community that connects history to action and that helps to redefine what education can achieve in the face of planetary challenges.”
Ages of Globalization is supported by UNESCO, Hearst Foundations, The Sustainable Tourism Global Center, the SDG Academy, Globe from Home, Compass Education, Young Reporters for the Environment, Subject to Climate, and other partners.
Learn More and Join the Movement
Explore AoG, access the content, and join upcoming UN at Your Doorstep dialogues:
http://www.agesofglobalization.com
Follow AoG on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Media Contacts
Tara Everton — Communications Manager, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (English)
tara.everton@unsdsn.org
Katja Anger-Delimi — Education Specialist, Ages of Globalization (English, French, German)
katja.anger@unsdsn.org