Community Extension and Citizenship Education of San Beda University towards SDG’s

Abstract

The critical roles of the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) towards the achievement of sustainable development signifies the need to implement Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Opportunities in applying ESD can be accomplished in different dimensions of the school to pursue the worldwide acceptance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This formed a question for San Beda University (SBU) to describe its practices and programs towards the achievement of ESD. In this study, the community extension and citizenship education of San Beda University were specifically examined in its Community Engagement Center (CEC) and National Service Training Program (NSTP). The study employed a framework on the Priority Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of SBU and selected key features and strategies of ESD. After a critical assessment of the procedures, teaching methods, documents, and interviews, the results of the study identified the practices and programs including specific teaching activities. The results illustrate the level by which SBU utilizes SDGs towards sustainability. The conclusion provided recommendations to encourage increasing the commitment of SBU in integrating SDGs in instruction, research, and extension. The study is significant in providing a preliminary assessment of the level of SBU engagement towards SDGs. It demonstrated the actions of how a university implements sustainable development. The study intends to contribute to the continuous implementation of ESD and improve the SDG performance of SBU as institutional change agent.