Vienna, 17 October 2025 – The first workshop, organized by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Austria and the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna in cooperation with the University College of Teacher Education Vienna (PH Wien), welcomed Austrian teachers to the Vienna International Centre (VIC) on 15 October. After a guided tour of the UN building, participants gained insights into UNHCR’s humanitarian work and received classroom-ready materials on refugee and asylum topics. UNIS Vienna presented educational resources and learning tools to engage students with the UN and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The second workshop was held on 17 October by UNIS Vienna in collaboration with the Slovak National Institute for Education and Youth (NIVAM) for Slovak educators. Sonja Wintersberger, Officer-in-Charge of UNIS Vienna, and Petra Hullova from the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the UN (Vienna) welcomed the teachers who came from different regions across Slovakia. Ms. Wintersberger emphasized the important role of teachers who “help young people understand the UN’s role and take action for a sustainable future”.
The day-long workshop kicked off with a presentation by UNIS on interactive teaching tools, such as videos, online games, teaching platforms and classroom activities. UNIS Visitors Service shared what they can offer for school classes to make the UN’s work more relatable and accessible to students. The workshop also featured sessions with experts from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), highlighting the role of education in promoting ethics and integrity, introducing resources for teaching disarmament.
After the interactive sessions, the teachers worked in groups to design classroom activities to bring the UN, the SDGs and human rights closer to their pupils. The day concluded with participants sharing their reflections and ideas for teaching on these topics and future collaboration.
“The workshop encouraged me to approach sustainable development goals not only as a topic to be taught, but also as a value that schools can actively live — through school projects, community cooperation, or environmentally responsible behaviour,” said one participant. Another teacher emphasized her appreciation for “the interactive approach, the opportunity for discussion, and the sharing of experiences among the participants”.
