Teaching today's schoolchildren how to save the planet

On 22 August, Secondary School No 4 in Dzerzhinsk transformed into a hub for climate education. More than 40 teachers, methodologists, and experts gathered for the regional seminar "Climate Box" as part of the 18th Republican Environmental Forum.

August 27, 2025
Две женщины стоят рядом в конференц-зале, одна из них улыбается и держит комплект образовательных материалов "Климатическая шкатулка".
Photo: UNDP in Belarus

Behind the laconic title “Climate Box” of this event lay an ambitious mission: to teach children not simply to understand climate change but to become active participants in addressing it.

The seminar was organized as part of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) regional project “Climate Education to Advance SDGs and Climate Action (Climate Box)”.

According to scientists, children born in 2020 face a dramatically different future. Current greenhouse gas emission trajectories mean they will experience between two and seven times more heatwaves during their lifetimes than those born in 1960, alongside two to three times more droughts and river floods.

Yet there are grounds for hope. UNESCO research shows that climate education and youth engagement significantly increase willingness to take action and support climate measures, fostering behavioral changes that help reduce CO2 emissions. A generation that understands the nature of climate change from childhood may be the first to successfully halt these destructive processes. 

This is precisely why the Dzerzhinsk seminar focused on showcasing contemporary approaches to environmental education and exploring how to weave climate topics into school curricula and extracurricular activities for children of all ages, including preschoolers. 

Мужчина выступает с трибуны в украшенном флагами конференц-зале.

Alexander Sudnik, the Institute of Experimental Botany of Belarus's National Academy of Sciences

Photo: UNDP in Belarus

Alexander Sudnik from the Institute of Experimental Botany at Belarus's National Academy of Sciences highlighted the crucial importance of local context. His presentation emphasized how the Climate Box educational materials demonstrate climate change's specific impacts on Belarus while offering adaptation strategies tailored to the country's circumstances. When children witness how these changes affect their own communities, abstract global issues become tangible and personal. 

The inclusive approach formed another cornerstone of the discussions. Educators devoted particular attention to children with special educational needs. Elena Panashchik from the Republican Centre for Ecology and Local History showcased innovative teaching methods and resources developed through the UNDP project, designed to make climate education accessible to every child regardless of their abilities. These materials cleverly explain complex processes through straightforward experiments and striking visual aids.

Participants also explored strategies for developing children's energy-saving skills, inspiring them to investigate climate issues independently and pioneering new approaches to the subject. Discussions centered on seamlessly incorporating climate knowledge into existing subjects while making learning more practically focused.

The seminar concluded with the distribution of Climate Box educational kits to schools across the Minsk region. However, the true achievement lay not in disseminating teaching materials, but in expanding a community of committed educators prepared to champion climate education within their institutions.