Author – Funmi Ilori
Founder, iRead Network Africa, Climate Kids Club
Article made in submission for the Green Week and Climate Online Campaign
Education directly improves knowledge and the ability to understand and process information. We need to give our kids the tools to observe and understand the effects of a changing climate – for their future and ours. Young people have the ability to realize that they have the power to change the world—and their own lives. They must be taught to belief in their ability to control their environment and destiny.
Education also indirectly enhances socio-economic status and social capital. Educated people have a better awareness of climate change and it gives them the knowledge and skills to adapt flexibly.
Climate kids club is set up across schools to educate and foster understanding of climate change and “climate literacy” among students and to reorient the entire education system to achieve climate-resilient development. This includes, for example, rethinking unsustainable lifestyles and promoting responsible consumption, “greening” technical and vocational education and training, integrating disaster preparedness in education, and building safe and green schools.
Globally, important steps are being taken to cut carbon pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change and lead international efforts to fight this global challenge. Continued progress into the future will depend on ensuring a climate-smart citizenry who will positively influence their communities as teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, public administrators and green ambassadors. These generations of leaders need to be equipped with climate change education and literacy skills to seek and implement innovative solutions to the emerging challenges.
Climate change education and literacy shouldn’t be about preaching to our kids. iRead Mobile Library provides a good science curriculum that empowers students with education, skills and tools that encourage them to ask their own questions and find the answers and proffer innovative solutions to climate change issues that affect them.
We need to be proactive and give young learners the tools to observe the effects of a changing climate for themselves. Education is one more way to invest in the future of our planet and let our kids shape the world that soon will be theirs.
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