Climate Protectors Provide Training Opportunity for Ecolint Student Activists
What is the NGO “Climate Protectors”?
“Climate Protector” is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the Geneva area, founded by Dani Varadi, a young mother deeply concerned about the future her children will face if current climate trends persist. Dani's vision was to create an intergenerational group of students and parents committed to taking positive actions to slow climate change. To quote the NGO’s website: “Inspiring young change makers and their parents in position of influence as key actors in co-creating a model of transformative Climate Action”.
To bring her ideas to life, Dani organised a retreat for school students with young climate activists to demonstrate achievable actions and instil a sense of hope. The inaugural retreat took place at the International School of Monaco. The second iteration of this retreat was held in Geneva.
Collaboration with Ecolint
Sarah Lalaz and Aurelia McNicol, staff members at the La Chataigneriae campus of the International School of Geneva (Ecolint), partnered with Climate Protectors to organise a weekend retreat. This event aimed to empower students to engage in climate action both within their school and the local community. The retreat was held over the Pentecost weekend, demonstrating the commitment of students who chose to attend despite the holiday.
Aims of the retreat with Climate Protectors
The retreat aimed to empower students across different age groups to plan and organise events for the 2024-25 academic year, focusing on one or more of the school’s six sustainability pillars:
Courses and Curriculum on Sustainability: Develop and integrate sustainability-focused courses into the school curriculum to educate students about environmental issues and solutions.
Greener Campus: Implement initiatives to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly practices on campus.
Eco-Friendly Events: Organise events that minimise environmental impact, such as zero-waste campaigns and sustainable celebrations.
Mental Health and Eco-Anxiety: Address the mental health of students by providing support and resources to manage eco-anxiety and promote well-being.
Empowerment for Future Building: Encourage and support students in envisioning and creating the sustainable world they want to live in.
Climate Fund: Establish a fund to support various climate action activities and projects initiated by students.
By participating in this retreat, students not only gained the knowledge and skills to combat climate change, but also formed a supportive community, ensuring ongoing collaboration and sustained efforts throughout the academic year.
Who were the activists involved in the retreat?
The retreat featured two main groups of young activists.
Day 1: Young Activists from the Banlieues Climat
Background: These activists hail from the Banlieues, the suburban areas surrounding Paris and other major French cities.Activities: They have trained French ministry officials in Paris to highlight the issues their communities face and propose solutions. They provided examples of effective collaborations between young people and government agencies, and demonstrated how to train other young individuals to take action. Their presentation was largely in French, aligning with the bilingual nature of the International school of Geneva.
Day 2: Climate Protectors facilitators
Background: This group has had experience in designing school programmes about leading sustainability. Many of these facilitators also had links with other organisations in France such as Le Bruit Court (The Rumour Mill).Activities: Le Bruit Court has organised a number of activities to shock and make people in France aware of issues related to climate control.
Both groups of activists stressed the absolute need for action given the crisis the world faces because it is not going to meet any of the targets to control global warming . They presented a number of scenarios at the beginning of their respective presentations which created concern about the future. They then went on to provide students with a sense of hope that it is possible to change things by targeted activism.
Student outcomes from the workshop
The students' initiatives to foster a sustainable and engaged school community were multifaceted and well-coordinated, targeting several key pillars of sustainability within their school environment. Their efforts encompassed transport, curriculum, and eco-friendly events, each of which involved detailed planning and recognition of the need for broad support.
Greener School Campus - Transport Solutions:
A significant focus was on reducing congestion and pollution caused by the high number of vehicles around the school. To address this, the students proposed increasing the use of bicycles and enhancing public transport services. They understood the necessity of lobbying the school administration to support these initiatives and planned promotional events to raise awareness. An innovative idea was to establish a student-run bike repair café, which would not only encourage cycling but also teach practical skills.School Curriculum and Courses - Integration of Sustainability:
The students pinpointed Middle Years courses (Years 7, 8, and 9) as crucial for integrating sustainability. They proposed incorporating sustainability into specific subjects and utilising available resources to enhance engagement. They suggested a model similar to the IB Diploma's Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) program, but with a focus on sustainability and a formal recording system to track progress. This approach aimed to normalise activism and make sustainability a regular part of the school experience. They recognized that while major curriculum changes are challenging, they are essential for long-term impact.Eco-Friendly Events - Holistic Events Planning:
Two groups developed comprehensive plans for organising eco-friendly events, emphasising a holistic approach that included music, arts and crafts, expert panel discussions, and debates. They proposed using only local food and drink producers, who would also be invited to speak about their products, thereby supporting local businesses and educating students about sustainable consumption. These plans specifically targeted the celebration of Earth Day, aiming to make it a cornerstone event for promoting sustainability at the school.
Implementation and community engagement
Action Plans and Presentations
Working in groups, the students created action plans for the academic year that addressed various sustainability issues on all Ecolint campuses. They presented these plans to their peers, parents, and some of the activists who had inspired them, garnering support and feedback.Boosting Confidence and Generating Ideas
Interacting with young activists both informally at dinner and formally during sessions helped the students feel a strong sense of support for their initiatives. This interaction boosted their self-confidence and generated new ideas for planning and executing events.Administrative Support:
The students acknowledged the importance of gaining support from the school administration to implement their plans effectively. They recognized that lobbying for administrative backing was crucial for the success of their initiatives.
Through these well-thought-out plans and proactive steps, the students demonstrated a deep commitment to sustainability and community engagement. Their initiatives highlighted the importance of comprehensive planning, inclusive activities, and administrative support in fostering a sustainable school environment.
What can be learnt from this weekend about leading sustainability?
Otto Sharmer’s U Model
This retreat in many ways resembled Otto Scharmer’s U model which has been very effectively used in many similar retreats. In the earlier sessions students were being presented with some of the impacts of climate change and the consequences of that for the future by the young activists (the stages of downloading, seeing and sensing). In the presencing stage they were asked to think about what they are going to do about it. Later in the Crystalling stage they started to discuss ideas, which led them into co-creating plans and presenting them to adults and peers at the retreat.
The importance of using young people who have experience as activists as leaders and also working with school groups. They were able to relate to the participants better than some other adults may have done as they had street credibility from their own actions.
Selecting a group of motivated young students to attend this event and who will act as catalysts for change within their own institutions was very important.
The six pillars framework of sustainability for the whole Ecolint foundation provides institutional support for their ideas.
The plans co-created by students are an important stimulus for the school to move forward in realising the six pillars of sustainability. They provide some clear ideas for organised action.
The students were clear in their plan making to realise that they needed to have both the endorsement and support of all members of the Ecolint Community to become reality.
The initiative of Climate Protectors in organising this workshop is to be commended. Schools need the input of community groups and NGOs to ensure their curriculum in the broadest sense stays relevant.
The importance of having two highly motivated and generous staff has been vital to the success of this venture.
