The application process for the UNESCO Learning City Award 2019 is now open. This award recognizes the commitment and efforts made at local level to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on education and lifelong learning.
Since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in 2015, cities around the world have made considerable efforts to meet this important agenda. Learning cities, in particular, are committed to promoting education and lifelong learning in their communities. Their efforts should be recognized, which is why UNESCO established the UNESCO Learning City Award to acknowledge the outstanding progress they have made. The award particularly recognizes concrete approaches to education and lifelong learning for the development of green and healthy learning cities, equitable and inclusive learning cities, and decent work and entrepreneurship.
The UNESCO Learning City Award is open to all member cities of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC). To date, over 200 cities from 46 UNESCO Member States are members of the network, the purpose of which is to promote education and lifelong learning.
The award was first conferred on 12 UNESCO GNLC member cities at the second International Conference on Learning Cities (ICLC), which took place in Mexico City, Mexico, in September 2015. Two years later, 16 member cities received the award at the third ICLC in Cork, Ireland. All 28 awarded cities have demonstrated outstanding practices in building lifelong learning.
The 2019 award will mark further inspiring approaches to building learning cities that lay the foundation for sustainable development.
How can cities apply?
To apply for the Learning City Award 2019, cities must:
- complete the award application form and provide any additional materials (articles, videos, etc.) in support of their application;
- ensure the award application form is signed by the city’s mayor;
- sign the consent form;
- send the application to their country’s National Commission for UNESCO no later than 31 August 2018.
Click here for further information.
Watch the video call for applications here.