TakingITGlobal

Our education systems and curriculum must expand beyond simply imparting climate change knowledge, to developing practical skills of negotiation, creativity, critical thinking and reasoning, to empower youth to take action through project based learning. The outmoded method of passively learning facts is no longer sufficient to prepare students. Adapting to an complex and shifting issue such as climate change requires innovative thinking and creative approaches. Through project based learning, students go beyond the textbook to develop practical skills to mitigate current and future challenges through real world experience. In researching, discussing, analysing, planning, and doing hands-on work, students will generate their own ideas and develop critical thinking skills that will help them address real life situations. Furthermore, students will develop their own agency and collaboration and communication skills by interacting with people from other communities and schools. Having this type of connection across communities and schools can help develop skills that may not be formally developed through existing curriculum. Similar to our curriculum recommendations, project based learning must be cross-disciplinary, directed towards all grade levels of students, with increasing complexity as students mature. First grade students, for instance, can start with small activities such as making their own recycling bins. As students advance, they can develop increasingly complex innovations that can be presented to governments or companies who can financially support their ideas, giving them resources for realisation and scaling. Cities must support opportunities for learning to expand beyond the classroom through projects that involve collaboration with other stakeholders, such as NGOs, industry, universities, and policy makers - both locally and internationally. Working together with school and community partners will help students broaden their ideas about climate change, learn from current research, come up with contextual and effective solutions, and contribute to a community's unique assets. Furthermore, these collaborations will help students take individual and/or collective action, building bonds in their communities, and allowing them to share their ideas with the public. Cities, community partners, and schools must commit to meaningful and long-lasting collaboration, in order for projects to reach their transformative potential. Complexities The implementation of PBL will require commitment and participation from cities in order to address inequities in access and opportunities. PBL is resource intensive, and it requires financial support, participation, networking, and supplies, especially as youth initiate increasingly sophisticated projects that involve layers of community participation. We therefore request monetary and in-kind support from city governments, who should be motivated to invest in the future of their communities. Youth have great ideas such as designing and creating media campaigns, establishing community gardens, and installing green energy projects. However, they are not able to implement them due to the lack of financial and practical resources. 8

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