Not on Our Soil – Youth and Climate Change

What’s included in this module?

Aims & Objectives

These lessons explore the ideas and feelings of the youth towards climate change and what it feels like being young in the 21st Century. With climate change being a significant contributor to anxiety and eco-anxiety among youth, the importance of activating and empowering youth becomes vital. These lessons showcase the relationship youth have with the fight against climate change and empower students to be active citizens in this journey. A central component of this module is the focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and its benefits as a framework for sustainable development. But most of all, this module aims to bring the voice of the youth to the surface in addressing past, current and forecasted impacts pf climate change. 

What you will learn

• Lesson 1 | Immerse This first lesson allows learners to engage with some of their anxieties in relation to climate change. The lesson will then introduce the history and role of both activism and youth activism in combatting any struggle. This lessons sets the foundation for the rest of the module in which learners will develop an awareness campaign. 
• Lesson 2 | Understand  Learners get into full swing as they brainstorm and discuss a central social, environmental or economic issue they feel passionate about developing a campaign for. This process allows the learners to create a personal project that activates their voice as a member of society. 
• Lesson 3 | Perspectives  Learners dive deeper into narrowing their campaign focus to one central issue. This lesson affords them time to research and structure their campaign to meet its needs. Learners will need to get creative in this lesson as they think of various campaign materials that could be useful in spreading awareness. 
• Lesson 4 | Empower  This final lessons kicks off with a focus on some awareness-raising tips when running campaigns or projects that involve awareness. These useful tips will assist learners as they finalise their campaigns for activation. 

Core concepts in this module

• Climate change: Impacts, causes and social, economic, and environmental effects
• Eco-anxiety amongst the youth
• Activism and the role of activism in creating change
• School climate strikes
• Campaigns and how campaigns can drive change
• The use of different campaign materials in spreading awareness

Module alignments