Extension diploma in Educational Knapsack for Planetary Health

2026-04-23

The National University of Mar del Plata (UNMDP), in partnership with ReAct Latin America, has approved the Extension Diploma “Educational Knapsack for School Health and the Microbial World: Caring for Planetary Health.” The program began in April 2026 and is aimed at educators, health professionals, and community workers.

A Response to global rises

At a time when antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the socio-environmental crisis demand urgent and collective responses, this educational proposal strengthens Latin American efforts toward an integrated approach to AMR. The program seeks to explore the microbial world, bacterial resistance, and conscious eating through the lens of Planetary Health to develop initiatives alongside the community.
Methodology and Educational Approach.

The program is based on the Educational Knapsack for School Health and the Microbial World, a methodology that transforms teaching into a participatory experience where children and young people become protagonists of their own learning.

• The curriculum uses playful, sensitive, and territorial tools to help students understand the role of microorganisms in life, health, and ecosystems.
• It builds a deep understanding of antimicrobial resistance as a social, environmental, and cultural phenomenon.

Program structure

The diploma lasts one semester and is conducted 100% virtually, featuring six modules that combine theory and practice:

• Module 1: Child-to-Child Methodology: participation and child leadership
• Module 2: Mother Earth, One Health, and Planetary Health
• Module 3: Microbial world and microbiome
• Module 4: Healthy eating and school gardens
• Module 5: Appropriate use of antibiotics and bacterial resistance
• Module 6: Design of community intervention projects

Each module integrates asynchronous spaces and synchronous meetings, encouraging exchange between participants and teachers from different countries. The process concludes with the design of a community proposal to take learning beyond the classroom.

Regional impact and collaboration

This formative experience currently brings together participants from 11 countries across Latin America and the United States. The regional teaching team includes experts from Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, and the USA. It functions as a network for exchanging knowledge and practices that strengthen a regional perspective on AMR and planetary health.
“The objective is to strengthen programs that are more sensitive to the territorial context, promoting ecological regeneration and community empowerment.”

A commitment to the future

The creation of this diploma is a significant step in building regional capacity to face AMR from a Planetary Health perspective. It is consolidated as one of the most innovative initiatives for the integrated management of AMR, impacting schools, universities, and communities.

By strengthening education, the program continues to amplify the collective care of life. Interested parties are invited to explore the Educational Knapsack at https://alforjaeducativa.reactlat.org/ to join this regional network.