Today’s young people are already experiencing climate change through a spectrum of increasingly drastic impacts to the earth system, its human societies, and the biosphere which we all rely on. They will ultimately be handed responsibility for addressing immense consequences as they enter adulthood. The skills they acquire to contend with such problems are of crucial importance.
For the past decade, The #Decarbonize Global Child Climate Program program has used technology to bring together tens of thousands of elementary and secondary students in over 70 countries in ongoing learning and dialogue on climate resilience, mitigation, and justice. Students spend months engaging in storytelling, blog posts, video production, art creation, interactive videoconference exchanges, and climate action.
#Decarbonize culminates in a child-authored Global Manifesto represented at the UN Climate Conference by a diverse delegation of child leaders drawn from every continent involved in the program. The Manifesto provides a platform for #Decarbonize students to amplify the voices of their peers - those who are most impacted by decisions and yet who have been historically under-represented in the decision-making processes. Program students receive extensive leadership and skill training to communicate clear steps forward in the pursuit of climate education and action.
For over a decade, schools from around the world have participated in #Decarbonize, a free year-round program that allows teachers and students ages 5-19 to collaborate on environmental topics. Over the course of the program, classrooms explore the causes and effects of climate change and have the opportunity to develop local solutions to take action. These action projects have resulted in real reductions - from projects in Brazil & India that saw the installation of solar panels on the roofs of their school, to a project in Canada that petitioned for the transition to electric school buses, and a project in the Philippines that resulted in school rooftop garden that provides all the vegetables needed for their canteen. The students focus on real ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We would love to expand the communities involved in our program! Feel free to reach out through our contacts on our website: www.decarbonize.me
