Education for sustainable development

Führung für Schulklassen - Schokoladenmuseum Köln

Education for Sustainable Development at the Chocolate Museum

In the fall of 2015, the United Nations adopted a global sustainability agenda. The goal of the 2030 Agenda is to create a peaceful and sustainable society. At the core of the agreement are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which list areas where sustainable development must be strengthened and embedded. These include, for example, “No poverty,” “Decent work and economic growth,” “Sustainable consumption and production,” or “Climate action.” Of particular importance is the goal “High-quality education,” which is the basis for achieving all other goals.

The aim of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is to provide information about economic, ecological and social interrelationships. This is to enable people to decide and act responsibly. ESD is an integral part of the museum’s mission statement and the basis of our educational work. In our educational offerings and exhibitions, our museum guests are informed about the working and living conditions of cocoa farmers. We explain the ecological consequences of cocoa cultivation and the still unsolved problem of exploitative child labor.

Guided tour for school classes

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Sustainable & fair – chocolate & cocoa: Without cocoa no chocolate! But who actually grows cocoa? What is the everyday life of cocoa farmers in the growing countries? In this guided tour, we present the working and living conditions in the most important cultivation regions. We explain how the lives of cocoa farmers have improved and what still needs to be done. We also explain seals, programs and initiatives that are committed to sustainable and fair cocoa cultivation.

Students learn about the activities and actions of chocolate manufacturers and retailers. In this way, they learn what each individual can do to ensure that everyone can enjoy sustainably produced chocolate products. In between, they sample chocolate from sustainable cocoa production that has been fairly traded.

For secondary level I and II .

    • Duration 60 min / max. 30 pers.
    • Teacher as an accompanying person has free admission
    • Group price € 75.00 + entrance fee

Educational Partnerships

ESD is the foundation of all our educational offerings. In order to enable an in-depth and lasting engagement with the topic of sustainability, the Chocolate Museum strives for long-term educational partnerships with schools. The content of the museum visit is prepared and followed up in the classroom. Within the scope of our possibilities, we support teachers in organizing lessons and even come to the school if necessary. In this way, the Chocolate Museum tries to meet the high demands of ESD. After all, it is not about imparting pure factual knowledge, but about recognizing connections and thus enabling independent sustainable action. This requires a longer-term and more intensive engagement with the topic.

If you are interested, please contact Eileen Schwarz from our museum education team:
museumspaedagogik@schokoladenmuseum.de

Theme Week “Chocolate and Cocoa – Sustainable and Fair!”

Since 2018, the Chocolate Museum has organized an annual Sustainability and Fair Trade Theme Week. This is organized together with “Plant for the Planet” and “Engagement Global” and always takes place at the end of May/beginning of June as part of the European Sustainability Week.

Numerous guided tours and workshops are offered during the event. In addition, various organizations and initiatives report on sustainable cocoa and chocolate projects.

If interested, please contact us: museumspaedagogik@schokoladenmuseum.de

Educational institution for sustainable development

In order to strengthen the quality of our own educational work and to become even more attractive as an extracurricular place of learning and experience, we had ourselves certified in 2018 by the Nature and Environmental Protection Academy NRW on the topic of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The Chocolate Museum is the first and so far only museum to receive this award. Since 2019, an annual sustainability report has been produced, which reports in detail on our activities and further goals in this area. In 2021, the Chocolate Museum became the first German museum to be recertified to date.

Learning place with distinction

The Chocolate Museum was awarded by the UNESCO World Programme of Action: Education for Sustainable Development on November 20, 2019.
What the jury says: “The Chocolate Museum Cologne is committed to making the social, economic and ecological aspects of the chocolate supply chain tangible for its visitors. In 3,500 guided tours, seminars and courses each year, the museum encourages visitors to think about sustainability aspects in a way that is appropriate for the target group. The transformation of the Chocolate Museum into a place of learning for education for sustainable development has strong exemplary character!” (Source: bne-portal.de)