From Climate Anxiety to Resilient Active Citizenship: when primary schools, parents and environmental groups work together to catalyse change
FORUM - ISSN 0963-8253
Volume 62 Number 2 (2020)
From Climate Anxiety to Resilient Active Citizenship: when primary schools, parents and environmental groups work together to catalyse change
RITA SOARES PINTO, SALLY GROVE-WHITE pages 251‑256
DOI: 10.15730/forum.2020.62.2.251
Abstract
This article presents the perspectives and experiences of parents of primary school children who, as climate change activists, have been reflecting on the role of primary schools and actively engaging in their children's school by piloting a climate change action initiative in close collaboration with environmental organisations. At the intersection of primary education, climate change and active citizenship for social change, this article contributes to the following questions: What is the role of primary schools regarding the current climate emergency? How can primary schools contribute to building a generation of emotionally resilient, environmentally aware, proactive citizens? While the authors' professional backgrounds and work are not directly in education, they hope that reflections about active citizenship and social change can bring rich perspectives on the role of schools and formal education on climate change. The first section reflects on the unique role of primary schools regarding the current climate emergency. The second section discusses the authors' own experience of setting up a Climate Action Group of parents, school staff, teachers and pupils, and how they were able to support the school to put climate action at its core.
To cite this article
RITA SOARES PINTO, SALLY GROVE-WHITE (2020) From Climate Anxiety to Resilient Active Citizenship: when primary schools, parents and environmental groups work together to catalyse change, FORUM, 62(2), 251-256 . https://doi.org/10.15730/forum.2020.62.2.251