Abstract:

The Italian Strategy for Global Citizenship Education (2018) subscribes to the definition of Global Citizenship Education adopted by UNESCO:
"An educational process that leads people to commit themselves to activate change in the social, cultural, political and economic structures that influence their lives" (https://en.unesco.org/themes/gced).

This process refers to:
- the feeling of belonging to a broad community and to a common humanity;
- the interdependence of political, economic, environmental, social and cultural dimensions;
- interconnection between local, national and global levels;
- the constant interaction between theoretical knowledge and direct experience of reality.

In this context, which includes training activities and skills development programmes for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (UNESCO Manual 2017), the teaching processes must affect the three main dimensions of learning (cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral) through educational courses in which specific methodological tools and teaching strategies are centered on experiential learning, creative forms of problem solving and participatory innovation.

Focusing on the development of the high skills that are necessary to participate in the life and in the work of the twenty-first century, Global Citizenship Education can derive highly effective transformative outcomes from teaching strategies based on work and experience.

The aim of the contribution is to make a review of the literature and a reflection on:
(1) the presence of Global Citizenship Education and Sustainable Development Goals themes in official documents, in Italian policies and in Italian schools;
(2) the evolution of the learning objectives in the competence frameworks of Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development;
(3) didactic approaches and work based learning to build Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development skills.

Keywords:

Global Citizenship Education, Italy, Upper Secondary School, Work Based Learning.