Young people increasingly report that climate change affects their daily lives, making many feel anxious about the future. It’s no wonder, considering that everywhere we turn, there is devastating news linked to the changing climate. We are experiencing and seeing destructive floods, intense wildfires, and extreme drought at home and worldwide in the media. So, how can we help students reduce their anxiety?
The science of climate change is complex, making it a difficult topic to teach and discuss. Helping students understand the science can allow them to identify actions that make a difference. Normalizing conversations about climate change can also help them feel less alone in their worries. These steps empower kids (and adults), and can help relieve anxiety.
The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, is a science and conservation organization devoted to the informal education of guests. As educators, we regularly discuss climate change and encourage guests to extend the conversation into their communities. To prepare our educators to have these conversations, they learn a strategy for climate change communication created by the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). The strategy is built on over fifteen years of experience as a network and research collaborative and comprises over 800 members and 360 institutions in 46 US states and five Canadian provinces. These educators, scientists, and policymakers use a unified approach to teach climate change. NNOCCI provides training, resources, and support to deliver messages that are “positive, civic-minded, and solutions-focused.”
Strategic framing is NNOCCI’s foundation for climate messaging. Using a frame or theme that speaks to the students’ values connects climate change to what they care about. “Protecting people, places, and wildlife from harm” is a common value for many of us. This may especially resonate if students have had an opportunity to connect with their communities and nature.
The next step is to teach the science of climate change by using metaphors that make climate change simpler and relatable. Many of us are familiar with the metaphor that burning fossil fuels for energy releases carbon dioxide, creating a “heat-trapping blanket” that warms the earth and disrupts the climate. This metaphor uses common knowledge that blankets keep us warm and can sometimes be too warm while connecting it to fossil fuel use. Other NNOCCI metaphors explain why carbon dioxide from fossil fuel production is particularly problematic, the ocean’s role in our climate systems, and how climate change impacts ocean chemistry, which affects marine life.
Providing actions that fight against climate change is another important step. We have all heard that we should turn off lights and carpool when possible, but these individual actions do not match the scale of the problem. Instead, focusing on community actions where people come together to reduce carbon emissions empowers and leads to a feeling of inclusion and hope. In addition, sharing stories of positive change can be a powerful motivator. Kids can make a difference, especially when they work together.
To get started at your school, here are some examples of community-level climate solutions. As part of the planning process, remember to create an evaluation step to see the impact. Evaluation is also often necessary to show administrators to continue these programs.
• Participating in or leading a tree planting community event. An evaluation report can look at the number of trees planted and research could be done to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide the trees absorb.
• Planting and maintaining a native garden at your school to help students learn about local habitats and support native pollinator populations. An evaluation report can look at the number and kinds of pollinators present before and after the installation of the garden.
• Creating a letter-writing campaign where students write to government officials to support or ask for local climate action. An evaluation report can be the number of letters sent, where they were sent, and if any replies were received.
For examples of student-led positive change in Canada, see the Youth Up Front articles from past issues of Canadian Teacher Magazine here: https://canadianteachermagazine.com/category/environmental-awareness/
One of the most important things we can do to fight climate change is to talk about it and get others to talk about it, too. Engaging in conversation with our communities, neighbours, family, or friends can get more people involved. Encourage your students to share what they learned in your lesson with their community. The more we talk about climate change and keep it top of mind, the more likely we will do something about it.
Teaching about climate change can feel daunting, but with the NNOCCI strategy and support from a network of educators, we can effectively teach students of all ages and move anxiety to understanding and action. The team at NNOCCI hosts virtual workshops, trainings, and talks several times a year. Learn more about this climate change communication strategy and how to integrate it into your teaching by visiting https://nnocci.org/training/.
Resources
The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI): https://nnocci.org/
NNOCCI training opportunities: https://nnocci.org/training/
A national survey of climate emotions and anxiety in Canada: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2023.100204
Collective action help youth with climate anxiety:
https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/collective-action-helps-young-adults-deal-with-climate-change-anxiety/
Staci Wong-Torres
Staci Wong-Torres has been an informal educator for over 20 years. Over her 17-year career at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, USA, she and her team have reached millions of visitors and school children sharing the wonders of the ocean and how working together can protect it from threats like climate change and other human impacts. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Biology from Miami University, Project Dragonfly, with a focus on science and conservation communication.
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2025 issue.