Empowering young people to become the climate leaders of tomorrow was at the heart of a recent conversation with Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) CEO Dr. Amel Karboul on the WISE Words podcast.
Delving into why education has traditionally been the ‘neglected child’ of the climate movement, Dr. Karboul noted that outcomes funding can improve climate literacy and provide children with the tools that they need to develop innovative solutions to the climate crisis explaining:
‘It’s not about changing the curriculum…the problem is that young people say that they don’t feel empowered to make a difference on the climate agenda. So, it’s a form of agency that you won’t solve with a curriculum.’
Empowering young people is the first part of a three-part strategy developed by EOF, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group and education leaders from the Malala Fund, Teach for All, and T4 Education, to set a comprehensive climate education agenda.
The second part of the strategy, Dr. Karboul explained, supports leaders to move from words to action through a ‘Green Skills Agenda’ that provides reskilling opportunities to those whose jobs are at risk due to climate change. This helps ensure that workers do not get left behind in the push towards a more sustainable future and helps to retain public support for green initiatives.
Finally, Dr. Karboul detailed the need to use the power of education to support adaptation and resilience to a changing climate. Highlighting the fact that women and girls are often the most at risk from climate change, she stressed the importance of giving them ‘the tools that they need to thrive in a new economy.’ Citing Camfed and Educate Girls as organizations doing incredible work on this issue, Dr. Karboul called for greater coordination and collaboration across the climate education sphere.
The episode closed with Dr. Karboul speaking about what gives her hope, remarking that she has been inspired by those who ‘when having to choose between what is right and what is easy, choose what is right.’
You can listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/30W3Aoa
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