Weaving Climate Crisis in to every corner of education

Prerequisites

A good Level of English

Target Group

HE, VET, secondary school and adult teachers

Learning Outcomes

The course participants will gain knowledge in:

Climate Emotions and Empathy:

• Understand the range of emotions (eco-anxiety, grief, hope, and optimism) that individuals and communities experience in response to the climate crisis
• Develop empathy and emotional resilience by creating safe spaces for students and communities to express and navigate these emotions effectively

Climate Justice and Social Equity:

• Understand the principles of climate justice, addressing how the climate crisis disproportionately affects vulnerable communities
• Develop educational frameworks that promote equitable solutions and ensure all voices are heard in climate discourse

They will develop the following skills:

Fostering Climate Empathy:

• Develop strategies to foster empathy in students and individuals, encouraging active listening and shared experiences in discussions about climate change
• Promote emotional awareness to build a more compassionate and connected approach to climate advocacy

Promoting Sustainable Behaviour Change:

• Encourage sustainable behaviours through education, emphasizing practical ways to reduce carbon footprints and engage with environmentally friendly practices in everyday life
• Focus on actions that students and schools can implement immediately, such as reducing single-use plastics and promoting energy efficiency

Schedule

Course Highlights:

• Introduction to Environmental Education: Understanding the significance of environmental issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Integrating Sustainability: Methods for embedding sustainability across subjects, with practical applications and real-world examples
• Emotional Well-being and Climate Change: Strategies to support students’ emotional resilience regarding eco-anxiety and climate-related stress
• Green Skills for Future Employment: Exploration of green skills essential for the sustainable economy and ways to incorporate these skills into teaching
• Project Development: Collaborative and individual projects to design and implement lessons and action plans focused on environmental themes

Day 1

Session 1: Welcome and Orientation

• Course objectives and personal connections to environmental sustainability

Session 2: Understanding the Impact Inside and Outside the Classroom

• Strategies for integrating sustainability into various subjects

Session 3: Project Introduction and Planning

• Final project requirements and action planning

Day 2

Session 4: SDGs: Understanding and Application

• Incorporating SDGs into educational settings with case studies and collaborative exercises

Session 5: Integrating SDGs in Lessons

• Adapting lesson plans to include SDGs and receiving feedback

Session 6: SDG Projects

• Developing and sharing project ideas aligned with SDGs

Day 3

Session 7: Addressing Big Climate Emotions in Teaching

• Techniques for incorporating discussions about climate emotions into teaching

Session 8: Turning Anxiety into Agency

• Strategies for supporting students’ emotional resilience

Day 4

Session 9: Green Routines and Normalising Behaviours

• Developing classroom routines that model eco-friendly behaviours

Session 10: Green Skills for Future Employment

• Designing projects to develop green skills in students

Session 11: Adapting Existing Materials to Make Them Greener

• Techniques for greening current lesson plans with real-time collaboration

Day 5 – Practical Applications and Ethical Considerations