Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/954090
Schools and cities must work together to develop and use spaces for students to collaborate with other students, members of their communities and cities, and experts in the industries related to climate change, in order to find and implement viable means of addressing this issue. School is not just a place of learning, but of creation, and collaboration feeds innovation. In creating a collaborative engagement space within schools, students are better able to become directly involved in actions about the issues at hand, and develop and implement real life solutions. As they develop real life solutions, students can apply them in their schools to build greener communities. Furthermore, schools must meaningfully involve individuals from diverse communities. We believe that actively including minority groups and individuals will allow students to gain a broader understanding of the impacts of climate change, thus developing their abilities to find and implement solutions that address the needs of everyone. Schools must prepare students for climate disasters and involve young people in developing disaster readiness responses. Solving our climate change challenges is a relatively long process - it might take years, or even decades, as there are no universal or quick-fixes. So it is important for schools to teach students how to respond and cope with droughts, floods, and heavy rain. For instance, people living in areas such as Mumbai, where floods are common, should be taught the basic procedures to be able to survive them. Furthermore, young people must be involved in developing disaster readiness responses that make sense for them, for adapting to climate change is as equally important as solving it. Complexities Critics of climate change education say it is a form of propaganda. Due to these widespread prejudices, there can be resistance to integrating education on climate change in schools. However, with the increasing frequency of climate tragedies like the 2015 46°C heat wave in India that killed 2,500 people, we cannot let ignorance limit us any longer. In this context, we believe that education through real life data and facts is not creating a false reality for students - it is especially necessary in the era of alternate facts. Education about climate change is not indoctrinating children, but empowering them with accurate information and data to think critically, enabling them to generate their own questions, critiques, and responses. 5