For over a century, St. Paul’s College has been at the forefront of education. In 2018, the school took a bold step by formally incorporating the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its curriculum framework. This initiative aims to address global challenges while nurturing students’ international perspectives and sense of social responsibility. The results speak for themselves: students have applied SDG knowledge, innovative thinking, and technological skills to design creative projects and new products. Some have even shaped their university aspirations around these goals, pursuing degrees in environmental science or sociology to drive positive change in their communities.
Principal Dennis Yuen Dick Yan believes integrating the SDGs is essential for Hong Kong’s future. As a global city, students must understand worldwide challenges — from climate change to wealth inequality — and connect them to local action, such as waste management and energy efficiency. The SDGs provide a structured framework that helps students bridge knowledge with real-world impact.
Multidisciplinary Learning & Hands-On Experiences
The school takes a dynamic approach, weaving SDGs across subjects through cross-disciplinary projects: Geography explores Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal 6), Chemistry analyses water pollution and Chinese Language students write essays on related issues. Through project-based learning, students turn theory into action, proposing solutions and even writing research papers at senior levels.
St. Paul’s College takes learning global through Model United Nations (MUN) simulations, where students step into the shoes of international diplomats. Nominated and trained as country delegates, they collaborate with young leaders from Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond to debate solutions to real-world challenges — sharpening their negotiation skills and global awareness. The school also empowers students as Sustainability Ambassadors, giving them hands-on leadership roles in tracking campus energy data and driving eco-initiatives.
(Students conduct field research on SDGs in diverse locations.)
At St. Paul’s College, sustainability isn’t just studied — it's experienced. Through hands-on initiatives like the textbook and uniform recycling programme, students don’t just learn about No Poverty (Goal 1) - they develop empathy while creating tangible solutions for their community.
Principal Yuen emphasises how this SDG-focused education aligns with growing corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) priorities. ‘Our students graduate with more than textbook knowledge — they gain practical problem-solving experience,’ he notes. This combination of theory and practice gives them a competitive edge in today’s evolving job market.
(Students sorting donated uniforms and books, putting SDG principles into practice.)
Where Innovation Meets Sustainability
In the digital age, artificial intelligence is widely used. St. Paul's College similarly encourages students to utilise various AI platforms, such as Google Earth Engine and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to track local air pollution trends. They analyse the collected data to assess the effectiveness of actions taken to address climate change, and then write papers based on their findings.
Additionally, the school offers immersive learning experiences through virtual reality (VR) and opportunities for online collaboration. This allows students to co-create Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects with schools abroad, such as designing initiatives for sustainable diets using Padlet, thereby enhancing their cross-cultural communication skills.
This fusion of digital tools and hands-on learning has yielded remarkable student innovations. The Plastic-Free Campaign creatively addresses responsible consumption (SDG 12) by incorporating food waste composting into biology experiments, demonstrating how scientific principles can drive social change. Particularly noteworthy is their award-winning smart recycling system, which utilises AI-powered image recognition to automate waste sorting — an innovation that earned top honours at the Consumer Council’s sustainable product design competition.
(Students combine their knowledge of the SDGs with creative technological skills to participate in competitions.)
(The school encourages students to use various technologies to deepen their learning.)
SDG Education Shapes Future Pathways
The school actively integrates the SDGs into its curriculum, linking them to public examinations. In the DSE program, SDG case studies are used, and students are supported in applying for certification as student ambassadors from local or international organisations, documenting their participation as proof of soft skills for their future academic records.
At the same time, the school informs parents during subject selection seminars and workshops about how the SDGs can enhance students’ future competitiveness, including skills like collaboration and creative thinking. They also organise parent-child planting workshops in collaboration with other organisations, allowing parents to experience green living habits and strengthen family bonds.
With this multifaceted teaching approach, nearly 90% of high school students, according to a survey, believe that learning about the SDGs helps them understand how the world works. They particularly appreciate hands-on activities, such as sustainable practices within the school and community service projects. The principal noted that some high school students have chosen to study environmental science or sociology, hoping to make a positive impact on their communities through personal actions.