UNRIC Library Backgrounder: Educational Resources

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United Nations Cyberschoolbus
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/index.shtml

The United Nations Cyberschoolbus was created in 1996 as the online education component of the Global Teaching and Learning Project, whose mission is to promote education about international issues and the United Nations.
The Global Teaching and Learning Project produces high quality teaching materials and activities designed for educational use (at primary, intermediate and secondary school levels) and for training teachers.


UN Works for People & the Planet
http://www.un.org/works/

The United Nations helps millions of people around the world in ways you never imagined. This site features the stories of men, women and children who have benefited from the UN's work. UN Works is an innovative multimedia platform that puts a human face on the work of the UN by exploring global issues through the personal stories of people and their communities.


Briefing Papers for Students
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/index.asp

The United Nations Cyberschoolbus presents the Briefing papers from “We the Peoples: the role of the United Nations in the 21st century” produced for students. Based on the Secretary-General's Millennium Report, each Briefing paper is a dossier of information about a current world issue and the UN's involvement with it.


UN Public Inquiries Unit
http://visit.un.org/wcm/content/site/visitors/lang/en/home/to_see_and_do/inquiries

Available on this website are:

• Fact Sheets - All the facts you need to know about the UN.
• Briefing Papers for students - Information for Students highlighting the UN's role in solving current world issues.
• Teacher's Kit - All the information that you will need to teach your students about the UN.

Global Issues on the UN Agenda
http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/

From the suffering of the Second World War emerged a new international organization - the United Nations. The UN's founding, in 1945, enabled its Member States and their peoples to work together to promote peace and cooperation, economic and social development, and a clear vision codified by international law. Ever since, the UN system has addressed those uniquely global problems which require cooperative efforts. These are the Global Issues on the UN Agenda. This website offers an overview of some of these global issues, and links to other resources where you can gain additional information.

Selected Publications Available Online

Basic Facts about the United Nations (May 2011)
http://issuu.com/unpublications/docs/basicfacts

A compact yet comprehensive handbook designed for the general public, Basic Facts about the United Nations sets forth the structure of the United Nations, how it works and the main issues it deals with in their importance for people everywhere. Along with explaining the role played by its principal organs and the family of UN organizations, individual chapters explore UN contributions to international peace and security; economic and social development; human rights; humanitarian action; international law; and decolonization. A series of appendices documents UN membership, peacekeeping operations, budget, and contact information for UN information centres, services and offices.
This new edition of the work has been substantially revised to take account of many significant developments that have taken place in the world and in the United Nations itself since the last edition of the book (previously titled The UN Today) in 2008.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the United Nations: For Students at Intermediate and Secondary Levels (April 2010)
http://issuu.com/unpublications/docs/9789210543835

This booklet has been designed to enable students at intermediate and secondary levels to learn more about the United Nations, its work and achievements. It also presents a comprehensive overview of the main issues the Organization deals with, such as peace and security, the UN Millennium Development Goals, and human rights. Filled with photographs and statistical data, it is an easy-to-read and highly educational guide to the Organization for students and teachers.


Growing Together: Youth and the Work of the United Nations (2008)
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/growing_together.pdf

The brochure is an example of how the United Nations system and the young people it serves are growing together. By taking stock of UN system activities related to youth development, the brochure provides a chance to assess how effectively the United Nations system is responding to this important development challenge, and it helps to identify any gaps that may exist in our approach.

United Nations Publications – Resources for Educators
https://unp.un.org/Educators.aspx

United Nations Publications offers a wide range of books that inform teachers and students about key issues facing the world today such as human rights, conflict prevention and peace building, economic and social issues, environment and sustainable development.

United Nations Chronicle
http://www.un.org/chronicle
“The Youth Issue” (Vol. XLVII, No. 4, 2010): 
http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/chronicle/home/archive/issues2010/pid/21460

A must-read for every concerned world citizen, the United Nations Chronicle is a quarterly, easy-to-read report on the work of the United Nations and its agencies. Produced by the United Nations Department of Public Information, every issue covers a wide range United Nations related activities: from fighting the drug war to fighting racial discrimination, from relief and development to nuclear disarmament, terrorism, and the world-wide environmental crisis.

Other UN Educational Websites

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – Resources for Youth
http://www.iaea.org/Resources/Youth/

International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Information and online learning activities about the IMF, money, and macroeconomics
http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/st/eng/index.htm
This site has been created for intermediate, secondary, and college students. The IMF Centre for Students features games, interactive role-playing stories, and curricula about money, the IMF, global cooperation, and macroeconomics.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) – Youth Corner
http://www.unece.org/highlights/youth_corner/youth_corner.htm
The UNECE has developed a series of games that offer a fun way for children of all ages to learn more about how the United Nations and the UNECE work and the goals they strive to achieve. This section offers several interactive puzzles, quizzes, and games that challenge, inform and entertain.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – TUNZA: Children and Youth Programme
http://www.unep.org/tunza/
This websites helps young people concerned about the environment do something good. It provides materials, builds networks, and arranges conferences and art competitions.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights - Training and Education Materials
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/PublicationsResources/Pages/TrainingEducation.aspx
This series consists of publications aimed at supporting general human rights education efforts. It includes information on the World Programme for Human Rights Education, a study on human rights education and human rights treaties, and a practical book to support human rights education in schools.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - Educational Resources for Teachers
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4ab346796.html  
This section of UNHCR's website provides a wide range of educational materials, ranging from publications and posters to DVDs. These are ideal materials to help children and young adults learn more about refugee issues. There is also a section on Lesson Modules. These are specifically designed materials to help teachers everywhere integrate refugee issues into the classroom in innovative and exciting ways.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) – Resources for Youth and Children
http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=531

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – Voices of Youth
http://voicesofyouth.org/
Voices of Youth (VOY) was founded in 1995 as UNICEF’s online place for young people to learn more about issues affecting their world. VOY was recently redesigned for a more modern youth audience and is now the go-to place where you can know more, learn more and do more about our world! You can share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of people from all over the world. You can also discuss social issues such as Education, Environment or Violence and Conflict and inform yourself about HIV/AIDS, Health or Human Rights.

World Bank – YouThink! But do you know?
http://youthink.worldbank.org/
The World Bank's Website has a special section devoted to students and teachers. Great for economics & sustainable development issues. With a helpful research guide and many resources.

World Food Programme (WFP) – Students and Teachers
http://www.wfp.org/students-and-teachers
Teachers and students are especially important to WFP because the more people learn about hunger, the more likely it is that the problem will be solved.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - Resources for Students
http://www.wipo.int/portal/en/resources_students.html
This page points to resources across the WIPO website, which may be of particular interest to students of intellectual property (IP). It also offers a special section for younger students.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – Youth Corner
http://www.wmo.int/youth/
This web site dedicated to children and teens answers frequently asked questions you may have about weather, climate and water. It is also a starting point for a better understanding of how these affect every aspect of your daily life. Information on weather, climate and water is vital for protecting our environment and for making the planet safer for us all, especially for future generations.

World Trade Organization (WTO) - For students
http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/students_e/students_e.htm
The links on this page are meant to guide students in finding basic or detailed information about the WTO.

Further Information

UN Channel on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/unitednations
TV programmes produced by the United Nations can be viewed on the UN Channel on YouTube.


UN & Social Networking           
Many UN system offices maintain presence on the major social media networks. A selected list is available at http://unbrussels.org/