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CESU2024: Supporting Climate Education

July 29, 2024

From July 8 to 12, we held our 2nd Climate Education Summer University (CESU) at Météo-France’s Centre International de Conférences in Toulouse.

Organized by our partner, the Office for Climate Education (OCE) in collaboration with Météo-France, the five-day event concluded successfully, marking a significant milestone in climate education for European teachers and educators as it brought together 30 teachers and trainers from 15 European countries to enhance their knowledge and skills in climate change education.

The CESU 2024 provided middle school and high school teachers, along with teacher trainers, with a week of immersive professional development. The event featured workshops led by OCE trainers, researchers, engineers, and mediators involved in the ESM2025 project. The primary objectives were to:

Deepen participants’ understanding of climate sciences, including mechanisms, origins, impacts, and adaptation/mitigation strategies;
Emphasize the importance of climate change education in a collaborative and cross-disciplinary manner;
Enhance teaching capabilities through active pedagogies such as experiments, role plays, debates, and project-based learning;
Offer educational insights aligned with international climate change education recommendations;
Foster innovative educational projects through peer collaboration;
Facilitate discussions with scientists for a comprehensive understanding of climate issues;
Build a sustainable community of practice among educators.

Program Highlights

Hands-on Workshops and Interactive Sessions
Participants engaged in a variety of practical workshops, including:

Inquiry-based learning on climate change and the greenhouse effect;
Board game on climate models and feedback mechanisms;
Multimedia animation on the Urban Heat Island effect;
Creative activities to tackle eco-anxiety.

Visit to Urbain Vitry School

There, we observed a comprehensive “global approach” to climate education. This visit provided practical insights into implementing whole-school initiatives for climate awareness and action.

Serious Games and Role Plays
Participants engaged in a variety of practical workshops, including:

Climate Justice: a role play game that helped educators understand the socio-political dimensions of climate change and its global implications;
Climate change, land use, and agriculture: this session illustrated the interconnectedness of climate systems and human activities, emphasizing sustainable practices.

Collaborative and Reflective Sessions
Participants engaged in a variety of practical workshops, including:

Teachers Projects Presentation: educators shared their ongoing climate education projects, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and best practices;
Pub Quiz Session: this informal session addressed eco-anxiety through engaging and interactive discussions on climate topics.

Impact and Feedback

"The diversity kept us alive and energetic throughout the days, and the quality provided our brains a lot to deal with, promoting discussions. Thanks!"

Jaak-Albert Metsoja

Physics & Science teacher in Estonia

"For me, being a social scientist, it was really great and very effective to learn about the various research areas and findings of climate sciences in this compact way."

Annette Kern

Economics education trainer in Germany

The event not only enhanced participants’ scientific and pedagogical knowledge but also inspired new classroom projects and educational initiatives since teachers expressed their intention to incorporate CESU resources and approaches into their regular teaching, reflecting the long-term impact of the training.

More teachers’ feedbacks available here:

Broader Reach and Future Plans

CESUs impact extend beyond the event itself, with resources and materials made available to participants for ongoing use. A WhatsApp group and follow-up initiatives also ensure continued collaboration and support among the educators.

For more information on CESU and to access educational resources, visit the OCE website and the ESM2025 resources page.

CESU2024: Supporting Climate Education

Program Highlights

Impact and Feedback

Broader Reach and Future Plans

Article from La Dépêche

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