Our work Current projects cooler futures *this project is under development. Please contact [email protected] for more information on cooler futures as it develops* Climate change training for Argyll & Bute children & young people Developing climate knowledge, promoting positive action, and fostering resilience in a changing world Around one fifth of Scotland's population are children or young people. This is significant in the context of climate change for a number of reasons. Young children face disproportionately high health effects as a result of climate change impacts. Extreme events can be traumatic and potentially lead to developmental impacts, wellcome.org (1). From a social justice perspective children and young people have had negligible impact on the climate though will be impacted by the effects disproportionately 'it is the young who will pay in full — with their very futures' un.org (2). Children and young people often suffer extremely high levels of climate and eco anxiety. There is a huge amount of material on climate change in the media and elsewhere without necessarily the provision of a positive, safe, social space for children and young people to explore this crucial information, naturescot.org (3). Children and young people are valuable contributors to climate action. They are agents of change, entrepreneurs and innovators. We all have a responsibility to ensure children and young people are provided the time and space to develop climate knowledge, turn information into action, and understand how to adapt to a changing Scotland, always pursuing cooler futures, un.org (4). Cooler futures exists to provide a flexible way for groups of children and/or young people to engage with climate change. It is guided by the following principles: The training will be led by the enquiry of the children or young people. The subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will always be incorporated. Training will embed climate positive behaviour change through practical and achievable actions relevant to the participants locality and situation. The training will build community links, beyond the learning environment, and explore examples of the co-benefits on climate action. The training will include a component of climate change adaptation and future resilience building. Why this flexible and community orientated approach to climate change learning? Climate change should be understood as a complex social as well as scientific issue characterized by uncertain and context-specific knowledge. This demands educators engage in inquiry and co-learning with students. The lack of time and the reported curriculum opportunities to address climate change in the classroom suggest a need for using co-curricular and community initiatives for student investigations and learning (Stevenson, Nicholls and Whitehouse, 2017). To support children and young people record and visualise all aspects of climate change in Argyll & Bute the following map is designed to assist. If you are a child or young person and want to add anything relating to climate change in Argyll and Bute please do so. Just 'right click' on the map and you will have the option to add information. This could be organisations who support climate action, sites of flooding, places that are adapting, eco-schools. etc. Add as much information as possible. Cooler futures is under development. Please watch this space for more information on the groups currently piloting the idea! Our original ACT ECOnnect Map is below and still available for groups to access and use! We look forward in due course to creating one multi-layered map for use by all in Argyll and Bute. (1) https://wellcome.org/news/explained-how-climate-change-affects-mental-health (2) https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action (3) https://www.nature.scot/scotlands-young-peoples-forest-tackling-climate-anxiety-and-providing-hope-abi-gardner-and-emma (4) https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-in-action The 'striped' image within the cooler futures logo is from work by Professor Ed Hawkins, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading. Find out more about these stripes here. Stevenson, R.B., Nicholls, J. and Whitehouse, H., 2017. What is climate change education?. Curriculum Perspectives, 37, pp.67-71.