6 Effective Steps to Inspire Your Students to Become Climate Leaders

Teachers play a crucial role in influencing young people. School-aged children and youth are learning how they fit into the world, and their natural curiosity and capacity to learn positions teachers uniquely as key mentors. At the same time, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible in our daily lives, and young people are seeking ways to cope with the emotional burden it brings. By integrating climate education into coursework, projects, and school culture, teachers can mobilize the next generation to be leaders of climate action.

So how can a teacher empower their students to take the reins? It sounds complicated, but even small actions can have a lasting impact. Check out our 6 simple tips to help you get started:

1) Lead by example
Your students have their eye on you, and if you’re looking to inspire them to care about sustainability then it’s not a bad idea to reflect on your own habits first. Small efforts such as using a reusable coffee cup or water bottle in class, cycling to work, or packing a litter less lunch can show students that even small actions are worthwhile.

2) Inspire students to engage in sustainability their way
Climate change affects all of us, regardless of identity, family culture, socio-economic factors, or belief systems. By creating a welcoming classroom environment where all are encouraged to express what sustainability looks like to them, you invite diversity to the movement; this is critical. For the youngsters, this looks like play; crafts, games, and stories can all introduce children to sustainability topics in an engaging, age-appropriate way. For middle and high school students, your approach can be more personalized. Leverage your students’ unique skills, interests and perspectives when exploring sustainability and climate solutions:

• Do your students enjoy playing video games? Challenge them to explore the environmental impact of the video game industry?
• Do you have a songwriter in the classroom? Could they research a course-related sustainability topic and write a song about their key learnings?
• Is there a sports-lover in your class? Explore the carbon footprint of your schools’ sports teams and enlist your students to find creative ways that your school can reduce the CO2 emitted by sports games/travel.

Spark these discussions in your classroom and find a way to bring each student to the table.

3) Frame climate change through an action-oriented lens
Climate change is a real threat, often leaving us overwhelmed by feelings of paralysis and anxiety. So, when speaking about climate change to young people, focus your attention on the solutions. Acknowledge the problems but get excited about the possibilities! Innovative thinking doesn’t stem from hopelessness; encourage your students to embrace experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking, focusing on the journey first and then the results.

4) Connect your teaching to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Climate change is layered, deeply connected to diverse social and environmental issues. The UN SDGs recognize the interconnectedness of prosperity with both human and environmental health. Because issues such as gender equality, poverty, and hunger are tied into issues of climate change, they should be addressed as relatives, rather than isolated problems. The next generation of climate leaders will need to address climate change through a wide lens, so start broadening your students’ viewpoints now!

5) Introduce EcoSchools Canada to your classroom
Offer your students the opportunity to lead their own sustainability initiatives either as class, club, or whole school! Whether you’re teaching at the elementary, middle, or high school level, EcoSchools provides hands-on, impactful environmental actions and campaigns. Free to all publicly funded schools across Canada and available in both official languages, EcoSchools can be integrated into any classroom or school. Whether your students would like to aim for certification through completing actions that earn points or prefer a more flexible approach, EcoSchools offers engaging opportunities to involve them in meaningful climate action. Check out our video about how EcoSchools has provided student climate leadership opportunities at Birchmount School in Moncton:

6) Sign up for a Gaia Project program or resource
Bring climate action into your classroom with The Gaia Project! Our programs and resources bring immersive, curriculum-based climate action into classrooms from K-12. Focusing on accessibility, our resources empower teachers to seamlessly integrate engaging, age-appropriate climate education into their classrooms. Whether you are looking for a teacher-led learning package or are interested in inviting a member of our team to your classroom, our staff are always available to guide you in your journey towards climate leadership. Spark environmental awareness and climate action in your school with The Gaia Project!

Author: Katelyn Plant, Marketing & Communications Manager, The Gaia Project 

 

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